This informational event - which takes place during National Hispanic Heritage Month - will include health screenings, workshops, and onsite local community agencies and organizations that serve Hispanics and Latinos.

"Cancer is taking a disproportionate toll on several minority communities, and there are disproportionate rates of cancer, diabetes and heart disease among Hispanics and Latinos," says Aisha Langford, MPH, minority outreach coordinator at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. Among Hispanics, for example, women are 2.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women. 

The free health screenings that will be offered at the event including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and glaucoma could save lives, Langford says.

Día de la Familia will offer attractions such as a live mariachi band, dance performances by the University of Michigan Salsa Rueda Club, and a special appearance by the Detroit Tigers mascot PAWS. In addition, there will be a short film that focuses on health issues that Mexican and Latino communities are facing. 

For more information about this event please, contact Aisha Langford, MPH at (734) 998-7073 or [email protected].

SUMMARY: Date: Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008; Time: 1-5 p.m.
Location: Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E. Huron River Dr.; Ann Arbor, MI.