Marion County health officials are offering parents a chance to get their children ready for school with free health checks and physicals at a local recreation center.
The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will host its Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, July 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the E. D. Croskey Recreation Center, which is located at 1510 NW 4th Street in Ocala.
The event will offer several no-cost services for families, including school readiness checks, physicals provided by the Estella Byrd Whiteman Community Health Center, and bicycle helmet fittings with giveaways.
Additionally, the department is partnering with the organization Who We Play For to provide optional electrocardiogram screenings for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. The heart screenings will cost $20, and financial assistance is available for qualifying families.
Interested parents must pre-register their children for the screenings and are required to bring identification alongside their student’s health and medical records to the event.