Rain Couldn’t Stop Downstate’s Fifth Healthy Lifestyle Fair

By Office of the President | Oct 6, 2026

Despite heavy rain and a gloomy forecast on September 20, Downstate’s fifth annual Community Healthy Lifestyle Fair brought residents together for a day of health, wellness, and community connection. When the forecast called for significant downpours across Brooklyn, organizers quickly moved the free event indoors, ensuring the fair continued without interruption. Volunteers, exhibitors, and families adapted seamlessly, helping maintain the welcoming atmosphere and high energy that have made the Healthy Lifestyle Fair a beloved community tradition.

Over 500 people came together at University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), including Brooklyn residents, vendors, and community partners. A team of 150 volunteers helped make the pivot possible. Visitors spoke with healthcare professionals, took part in health screenings, and explored resources for every stage of life. Cooking demonstrations, movement activities, raffles, and giveaways added to the day’s family-friendly spirit.

The fair offered something for every generation. The Children’s Pavilion paired health education with activities for young visitors and their families. The Men’s Pavilion provided a place for conversations about men’s health and prevention. Equally important was the Older Adults Pavilion, focused on healthy aging, and the Women’s Pavilion making its debut this year, added a dedicated space for conversations and resources on women’s health.

Community partners offered families a wide range of opportunities to learn about and improve their health. Betty Jung, RN, and Sarah Marshall, DNP, RNC, ICCE, of the Center for Community Health Promotion and Wellness, Screening Teams, Brooklyn Free Clinic, and numerous Downstate clinical departments connected visitors with health screenings, consultations, and educational resources. Teams from Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Dermatology, OB/GYN, Radiology, and other specialties provided practical information and personalized guidance, helping attendees take an active role in managing their health and well-being.

The Downstate Transplant Center and SUNY College of Optometry offered opportunities to learn about specialized care. Our friends at Plant Powered Metro New York and Nutrition Advocates brought food and healthy living into the conversation.

There was room for fun and practical support, and even our four-legged family members were included, with pet-focused resources and activities. The Barbering Impact Program, LIU Veterinary School, STAR Photo Booth, and ice cream truck helped make the fair a day out for the whole family. FDNY, NYC Department of Transportation, University Police, and other public service partners joined health plans, schools, and community organizations in bringing resources together under one dry roof. Our local council members, Rita Joseph, District 40, and Mercedes Narcisse, District 46, joined the festivities and celebrated with the fairgoers.

The fair also honored service to Downstate and Brooklyn. Balavenkatesh Kanna, M.D., MPH, FACP, FACHE, UHD Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the community and led the awards presentation. The 2026 James Mahoney, M.D., Hero Award went to Radha Giridharan, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and the Brooklyn Children’s Society, which supports Downstate programs that help Brooklyn children stay healthy and thrive. The Dellon Angel Service Excellence Award honored the Brooklyn Free Clinic and Kaiser Islam, M.D., Internal Medicine.

Three core planning committee members received commemorative plaques for their leadership: Teresa Smith-Bellille, M.D., Interim Chair of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean of the Office of Graduate Medical Education; Nathalie Mendez, M.A., Administrator, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry; and James Gerontzos, MBA, Director of Marketing.

Special thanks to Alishia Goodridge, MLS, MBA, Assistant Vice President for Government & Community Relations; Kino Williams, PsyD, MS, PHR, CPHQ, Department Administrator in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and Juliet Green, PsyD, MHA, C-TAGME, Medical Education Systems Manager, for their work as part of the Planning Committee.

Thank you to our in-house sponsors, including the Physicians of University Hospital at Downstate and the Residency Program Coordinators Forum, in collaboration with the offices of Graduate Medical Education, Government & Community Relations, Emergency Preparedness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion House Staff Council, and the Medical Executive Committee. Their work, together with the clinical teams, F&MD, volunteers, and community partners, helped keep the fair going when the weather changed.

See the full list of participating vendors:

The Children’s, Women’s, Men’s, and Older Adults pavilions gave visitors a chance to focus on the health questions that matter to them and their families. These pavilions reflected what the health fair is here to do: help Brooklyn residents find information, support, and care at every stage of life.

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Tags: Community Health and Wellness