Organizers for next Tuesday’s free, community wide health screening will teach participants what their health numbers are and expect to take no more than 15 minutes of the individual’s day in doing so.

The screening, which runs from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the YMCA lobby, will check participants’ cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and weight.

“I’m sure some people don’t go to doctors as often as they should, so this is a free screening that will help them understand where they stand in certain areas of their health,” Bill Porter, CEO of the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County, said.

“I think it’s really good for them and for the community.”

He said he hopes anywhere from 50 to 100 people will attend the free screening, which is hosted by Vaughan Community Health Services and the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County.

Karen Morris, a community health educator with Vaughan Community Health Services, urged community members to attend the screening because of the health issues that are prevalent in both Selma and Dallas County.

“We’re living in a community where the obesity rate is high and this is a great opportunity for people to find out what their numbers are if they’ve never had it done before,” Morris said. “This is something we want everyone to take advantage of.”

Morris said another factor to those thinking about attending the event, is that it won’t take long for the screenings to be done.

“It takes three minutes to get your blood pressure done and it takes three minutes to get your glucose and cholesterol done,” she said. “We hope to have everyone in and out quickly.”

Porter said he looks forward to next week’s event, and he is pleased the YMCA was able to provide a facility for the screenings to take place in.

“We always want to help with community service as much as we can, and events such as this one benefit the YMCA as well,” Porter said. “We want to present things to the community that will help improve Selma and Dallas County and help people with their health. This is one of those events.”