I wanted to take a moment and look back at our first Dunedin Healthy Living: Fair & Expo. After months of preparation, word of mouth, flyers, and tons of logistics, we finally saw the fair come to life. It was an exciting time, and I know that while I wish mother nature had given us a bit of a break, the few hours we did have in the morning were wonderful. With 25 local health-conscious businesses represented in different capacities, we really got a nice cross-section of what our Dunedin community has to offer. I could not have been happier with our partners in the fair, and based on feedback from our partners, they were also quite excited about the concept and line up. Every member of the fair made an impression on me through their passion, presentations, and excitement, but a few highlights from the fair stood out brightly in my mind. First was Tony of Ember Fire Spinning showing a number of young children how exciting spinning poi could be. We have some wonderful pictures of a mother and son learning poi together, and it truly is heart warming to see families being active together. Secondly, the food from Serendipity Cafe was a crowd favorite. We actually had people waiting out the rain just for the opportunity to order some of Kim's beef, chicken, or veggie tacos!
Moving forward, we are looking to host another fair in the fall, possibly switching to a fall/spring biannual event in which we partner with local health-conscious businesses to continually showcase what Dunedin has to offer. Demand for participation in the fair was inspiring! Even after having to close registration for capacity, we still received a number of calls and emails asking about joining our cause. The next fair is looking to be even larger than this one, and weather permitting, we may need to make sure we have enough room for all of our friends in the community to come through. I will keep you all updated as things move forward, and again, I am so happy to be able to work and play in such a great community. Thank you all for your support and please make sure to get your RAFFLE TICKETS before July 8, 2013. That is the day of the drawing. We are trying to raise money to support the charitable efforts of the Downtown Dunedin Rotary Club, so spend a few dollars and win a few prizes!
-Dr. Colin Bartoe
