MM_011917

16 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
Publisher’s inaugural Healthy Living Expo offers classes, demos and more
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Every year, people across
the country take time out to
set New Year’s resolutions,
with a goal to improve their
daily lives.
Saturday, Jan. 14, 22nd
Century Media provided
south suburban residents
with the opportunity to sample
a smorgasbord of fitness,
diet and wellness techniques
at its Healthy Living Expo.
The inaugural event took
place at the Tinley Park
Convention Center, with
more than 40 vendors making
themselves available to
do demonstrations, answer
questions, and give tips and
techniques on easy ways to
become healthier in 2017.
“January is the time when
people hit the reset button,”
said Heather Warthen, chief
events officer at 22nd Century
Media. “So, we decided
to add this as an expo and see
what we can get for some
healthy living vendors. We’re
also offering free 30-minute
fitness classes throughout the
Yoga instructor Carrie Pokorney chats with participants
before she begins her class.
day from various gyms and
organizations. So, it should
be a fun day.”
The first class of the morning
came compliments of
Body Tech Total Fitness’
Todd Fitzpatrick, who led
participants in a CrossFit
workout.
“I recommend CrossFit,
because it blends together
the three main facets of fitness,
which are strength,
cardiovascular activity and
gymnastics — flexibility and
mobility,” he said. “It blends
all of them together in a very
intense yet constantly varied
environment. So, you get the
most work you can out of the
shortest time span.”
Whether one is an advanced
athlete or someone
who has not stepped foot in a
gym for decades, CrossFit can
be adapted to any skill set.
“The best thing about
CrossFit is that you can scale
it to your mobility,” Fitzpatrick
added.
Yoga, dance and a variety
of other fitness classes were
offered later in the day, giving
folks the opportunity to
see which exercise works
best for them.
The Healthy Living Expo
also provided health screenings,
informative seminars
and the chance to purchase
goods, like locally sourced
honey.
“Honey is much better than
sugar, because it has vitamins
and minerals that don’t appear
in sugar,” said Hidden
Knoll Apiaries’ Dawn Steinman,
of her honey.
Some of the top draws of
the event were the on-site
cooking demonstrations from
two of the area’s top chefs:
chef Colin Turner of Tin Fish
in Tinley Park and chef Tim
Bucci from Joliet Junior College’s
Culinary Arts program.
“I teach family consumer
science,” said Laura Widdel,
of her primary motivation for
heading to the Tinley Park
Convention Center the morning
of Jan. 14. “So, I teach
cooking and sewing, and I
Shelia Fitzgerald (left), of Tinley Park, and Sue Anello, of
Orland Park, learn about chemical-free cleaning supplies
from Norwex Saturday, Jan. 14, during 22nd Century
Media’s Healthy Living Expo, at the Tinley Park Convention
Center. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
mainly wanted to come out to
see Tim, the chef from JJC.”
Widdel’s friend Kendell
Stachelski added that, along
with the cooking demos, she
was interested in learning
more about the many uses
for essential oils.
“I have some essential
oils and diffusers,” she said.
“I’m sick right now. So, if
they can give me any tips on
how to clear things up, that
would be awesome.”
Weight Watchers, Theracore
Physical Therapy, Ingalls
Health System, and
Heart & Sole Dance are just
a sampling of the many vendors
that were on hand at the
Healthy Living Expo.
Warthen noted, “When
you think healthy living,
we’ve got it all.”
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
ShareFest seeks volunteers,
broadens digital outreach
As ShareFest continues
to implement more community
service plans in the Will
County area, founder Gary
Cheney wants to make sure
his volunteer foundation expands
along with that.
The New Lenox-based,
nonprofit organization partnered
with WotNow — an
app that narrows down hyperlocal
events and activities
that are tailored to the users
— to broaden its outreach.
Aside from acquiring more
volunteers, Cheney said the
goal was to reach out to the
younger crowd, as well as be
more accessible in the digital
age.
“We need more coordinators,
and we need more volunteers,”
Cheney said. “The
need is there, but the laborers
are few. So, we have to
find ways to reach those volunteers,
and that means marketing.”
Deepa Salem, founder
of WotNow, said there are
posts on Facebook and Twitter
that people do not care to
received on their news feeds.
Instead of combing through
those social media sites for
what they want, Salem said
everything is at the forefront,
based on the user’s
preferences.
Wotnow has ties with Lincoln-Way
West, New Lenox
Public Library, New Lenox
Chamber of Commerce and
New Lenox Community
Park District. ShareFest is
the Naperville-based company’s
latest partnership
from the area.
Reporting by James Sanchez,
Editor. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
LTHS grad making noise in
electronic music scene
Brett Stogsdill has traded
one base for another.
The Homer Glen native
and Lockport Township
High School graduate had
big dreams of playing baseball
in college. But after
injuring his arm, Stogsdill
went from running the bases
to dropping the bass.
Now Stogsdill, better
known by his artist name
Mielo, is making noise on
the electronic dance music
scene. The 21-year-old’s latest
single, “Pretty When U
Cry,” has more than 500,000
views on YouTube and debuted
in November on 103.5
KISS FM.
“We were sitting in the
living room, waiting for it to
come on,” Stogsdill said with
a laugh. “It was supposed to
come on at 8:01 p.m. ... and
then a Maroon 5 song came
on, and I just thought, ‘Well,
maybe they’re just not doing
it.’ But they played it a halfhour
later. It was cool.”
Reporting by Erin Redmond,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
LockportLegend.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Christian Hills’ The Rally
brings together area
children, teens
“At the end of the day, my
God sets the trends.”
That was the final message
Adriel Cruz shared with
his audience, right before he
dipped into his track “Trendsetter”
off of his EP “Show
and Tell.” His song outlines
a personal struggle of staying
strong, keeping the faith,
moving forward and saying
a “prayer for these [player
haters].”
“My God hold me down
and not one of you could
ever stop it,” he continued.
“Jesus, more than a prophet.
If you had His job, you
would drop it. His mastery
defies all logic.”
Cruz — better known
as Chicago-based rapper
“Skrip” and the pastor of
World Renegade Church —
was the main act at The Rally,
a first gathering, held Jan.
11, for teens and children
at Christian Hills Church in
Orland Hills.
Christian Hills Church
not only draws in members
from Tinley Park and other
surrounding communities in
the southwest suburbs but
is a part of the Tinley Park
Ministerial Alliance.
Reporting by F. Amanda
Tugade, Editor. For more, visit
TinleyJunction.com.