Helbling Employee Benefits and the city of Coeur d'Alene invite the public to the City of Coeur d'Alene's Third Annual Wellness Fair on Thursday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Library Community Room.

"It's a good chance, not just for city employees, to learn about some of the companies and programs that are available to help us all stay on track and be fit," said Helbling account manager Nancy Shepherd. Helbling is the city's insurance broker.

Helbling is planning the event on behalf of the city, working with the CitiFit Committee to promote wellness among city employees. However, the event is open to anyone who wants to engage in their own health. It includes free health screenings and education from numerous and diverse vendors, free massages from A-Chi-Ving Relaxation Day Spa, free bike demos from Terra Sports, and even free food from Pita Pit, Cafe Carambola and Helbling Employee Benefits.

Vendors at the wellness fair range from Kootenai Health to the North Idaho Eye Institute and Blue Chip Chiropractic, among numerous others. Vendors usually bring visual demonstrations and motivators, and even interactive displays.

The purpose of the fair is to help educate and help city employees engage in their own health, because healthy employees are more productive and because better health brings health care costs down. That's especially important now with health care costs rising rapidly, Shepherd said.

Prevention is key to bringing costs down. According to Wellness Council of America, preventable risk factors are associated with 21 percent to 58 percent of medical claims.

Helbling embraces that approach. Owners Greg Helbling and Chad Murray are progressive in providing more than benefit insight. The company also helps with wellness programs to reduce costs. The city of Coeur d'Alene is progressive, too, maintaining its CitiFit Committee since the early 1990s, Shepherd said.

To further encourage participation, there will be drawings for several prizes, totaling more than $1,000. All attendees will have a chance to win one of several prizes, including The Coeur d'Alene Resort gift cards valued at $300 and $200, a bike helmet and tune-up, a $250 teeth whitening package, one hypnotherapy session certificate and a one hour massage.

Helbling Employee Benefits and the city of Coeur d'Alene invite the public to the City of Coeur d'Alene's Third Annual Wellness Fair on Thursday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Library Community Room.

"It's a good chance, not just for city employees, to learn about some of the companies and programs that are available to help us all stay on track and be fit," said Helbling account manager Nancy Shepherd. Helbling is the city's insurance broker.

Helbling is planning the event on behalf of the city, working with the CitiFit Committee to promote wellness among city employees. However, the event is open to anyone who wants to engage in their own health. It includes free health screenings and education from numerous and diverse vendors, free massages from A-Chi-Ving Relaxation Day Spa, free bike demos from Terra Sports, and even free food from Pita Pit, Cafe Carambola and Helbling Employee Benefits.

Vendors at the wellness fair range from Kootenai Health to the North Idaho Eye Institute and Blue Chip Chiropractic, among numerous others. Vendors usually bring visual demonstrations and motivators, and even interactive displays.

The purpose of the fair is to help educate and help city employees engage in their own health, because healthy employees are more productive and because better health brings health care costs down. That's especially important now with health care costs rising rapidly, Shepherd said.

Prevention is key to bringing costs down. According to Wellness Council of America, preventable risk factors are associated with 21 percent to 58 percent of medical claims.

Helbling embraces that approach. Owners Greg Helbling and Chad Murray are progressive in providing more than benefit insight. The company also helps with wellness programs to reduce costs. The city of Coeur d'Alene is progressive, too, maintaining its CitiFit Committee since the early 1990s, Shepherd said.

To further encourage participation, there will be drawings for several prizes, totaling more than $1,000. All attendees will have a chance to win one of several prizes, including The Coeur d'Alene Resort gift cards valued at $300 and $200, a bike helmet and tune-up, a $250 teeth whitening package, one hypnotherapy session certificate and a one hour massage.