Planning, execution result in successful Baptist drive-through Back-to-School Fair

Several hundred school children enjoyed a unique drive-through Back-to-School Fair, Saturday, July 25, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County (BMH).

Although the Back-to-School Fair has been a successful annual event at Baptist-Union County for many summers, the coronavirus pandemic made it especially challenging this year.

In prior years, school children and their parents wandered freely over much of the Baptist campus, visiting booths, playing, and gathering information and materials to use during the coming school year. However, social distancing necessary during the coronavirus pandemic meant things would have to be much different in 2020.

BMH Marketing Director, Nancy Kidd, Community/Occupation Nurse Coordinator, Stephanie Hodges, and Safety and Security Manager, Don Shaffer, sought help from the New Albany Police Department (NAPD). Chief Chris Robertson and Assistant Chief Clay Keener worked with the Baptist managers and developed a plan to make the Back-to-School Fair a drive-through event.

NAPD and BMH personnel planned precisely how the health fair traffic could be handled. Motor vehicles with school-age children were told how to get to the fair. There, they were gathered at the BMH campus and directed in a quick, safe and orderly way through rows of exhibits set up in tents. Saturday’s event came off smoothly. The excellent planning was evident.

There was participation by medical clinics, fire departments, civic clubs, school organizations and churches. Local school children received most of the benefits of a more traditional back-to-school fair, without undue risks of spreading COVID-19.

They thought about it, planned it, made it work.

The last booth on the drive-through was the food tent. BMH personnel grilled1,250 hot dogs for the event. After passing through the exhibits, children and adults were served hot dogs just before exiting the Baptist campus.