A crowd packed the Pell City Civic Center for the St. Clair County Health and Preparedness Fair, leaving sponsors of the event with only one way to describe it. “Phenomenal,” said Lee Ann Clark, coordinator for the St. Clair County Extension Service, which organized the fair.

Between 500 and 600 people came through the fair for free health screenings and information, but Clark noted there were more people than that who actually attended the fair.

It was a chance for various entities -- Red Cross, Lakeside Hospice, St. Vincent’s St. Clair and Alacare Home Health and Hospice and others -- to give screenings and to raise awareness about their services.

Disaster preparedness vendors also played a major role in the day’s activities.

An ounce of prevention certainly is worth a pound of cure, and we commend all involved for bringing this much needed event to St. Clair County.