Classes were well over, but Kilgore High School Cafeteria was still full of life hours later Jan. 22 as the 2026 Health Fair welcomed the community-at-large.
There was a constant stream of students, parents, siblings, grandparents and other visitors moving through the labyrinth of students’ health-focused booths that Thursday night. In addition to the home-grown exhibits, Health Science program participants recruited other school groups and local organizations to participate as well, from the KHS Spirit Depot and Kilgore Lions Club to Wellness Pointe, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and many more.
“It’s growing,” said KHS Health Science instructor Cheyenne Kirkpatrick, advisor for the school’s SkillsUSA chapter. It was the fifth annual event, she added: “Every year it’s growing.”
Anna Lee Friesen’s daughter, Grace, is part of the SkillsUSA group, and mom was happy to help out and welcome crowds to the Health Fair.
“These kids worked so hard to put this on, and Coach K is wonderful,” Anna Lee Friesen said amid the buzz of conversation that night. “They’re really the future of medical professionals. The kids put in a lot of extra hours. They put this on every year, and they’re really passionate about what they’re doing.
“The community needs to come out and see this.”
Kilgore ISD Supt. Dr. Andy Baker said he was impressed to see a line of visitors waiting for the event to open.
“I’ve learned CPR for the 30th time,” he equipped. “The kids are completely controlling this.”
Baker was pleased to the students enthusiastically taking the lead and sharing their skills with the community.
“Every booth has the kids taking control of it. They’re gonna get you and drag you to show you what they’ve learned.”
It’s a lot of lessons from a lot of students.
“There’s over 200 Health Science students in the school,” Kirkpatrick noted, “90 who have joined the chapter,” and many hands make light work: “Everybody helps.”
The night’s ‘Health Fair Bingo’ card tracked all the myriad participants:
- Because I Care Bone Marrow Registry
- Blood Pressure
- Carter BloodCare
- Christian Homes & Family Services
- CPR/AED & Choking
- Glove Removal / Handwashing
- J DeGraffenreid Dentistry
- KBAD Kilgore Bulldogs Against Drugs
- KHS Book Club
- KHS Choir
- KHS Spirit Depot
- Kilgore FFA
- Mental Health
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving
- Raw Iron Henderson
- SAVE Promise
- SHAC Committee
- Sources of Strength
- Stop the Bleed
- Stuco
- Sugar in Beverages
- TX State Dept. Health Services
- Unlimited Drug Testing
- Wellness Pointe
For completing the card, visitors received a coupon for dinner courtesy of Credit Union of Texas and were entered into a prize drawing.
Once again, it was all the students’ effort, Kirkpatrick said.
“They went in and talked to different places, asked for door prizes. I’m guiding and giving advice. They made the map,” she added. In addition to crafting the flyers, “This year they translated every single one of them into Spanish,” publicized the event, made presentations to local clubs and Kilgore City Council – the students made it happen.
“They’re networking, they’re learning those communication skills, they’re strengthening the skills they learn because they’re teaching them,” Kirkpatrick said. And, they’re saving lives, literally: “There was a kid that saved her own mom by doing CPR. That’s a huge deal.
“It’s all of the awareness and different skills they’re able to share here.”
