LaFayette health fair to provide cancer resources, patient gas cards

BY SAM VISE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN

LAFAYETTE — Downtown LaFayette will come alive with music, movement and community support on Sunday, Nov. 1, as Blessed Body & Fitness Gym hosts the fifth annual Taking It Back To Da Streets: All Cancers Dancing for a Cure Health Fair.

The event will kick off at 3 p.m. on the courthouse square, 4 1st St. SE in LaFayette. Designed to bring vital health resources directly to local residents, the afternoon will feature Zumba, line dancing, health screenings, vendor tables, survivor testimonies, door prizes, a sweet treat table and a commemorative balloon release.

For organizer and LaFayette native Pamelar Whitlow Holloway, owner of Blessed Body & Fitness Gym, the annual gathering is rooted in personal purpose and faith.

“This is not just an event to me,” Holloway said. “It is about giving back, bringing awareness to all cancers, supporting cancer patients, celebrating survivors and bringing our community together for a great cause. We are taking it back to the streets because we want to bring the message directly to our people and let them know that all cancers matter.”

The inspiration for the health fair began in 2022 following the death of Holloway’s mother-in-law from bone cancer six years ago. Holloway and her family sought a way to turn grief into action.

“Her passing touched our family deeply, and we wanted to do something meaningful in her honor,” Holloway said. “We decided that we didn’t want her memory to be just something we talked about. We wanted to turn our love for her into something that could help other people.”

Holloway opened Blessed Body & Fitness in March 2013 as the city’s first and only full-service gym. She later expanded the business into a multiservice family hub on the square, operating alongside her studio, Blessed Images Photography, and her husband, the Rev. Terrence Holloway’s, barbershop.

Holloway said while October often centers on breast cancer awareness, cancer in all its forms affects local families year-round.

“I want people to know cancer awareness is not limited to breast cancer or one particular month,” Holloway said. “All cancers deserve attention. Every patient matters, every survivor has a story and every family dealing with this disease deserves compassion and support.”

A central mission of the health fair is providing tangible, practical relief to cancer patients through donated gas gift cards to help offset the costs of traveling to oncology appointments and treatments.

“We know cancer treatment can require a lot of traveling, and those trips back and forth to appointments can become an added expense for patients and their families,” Holloway said. “Sometimes people think giving back has to mean doing something big, but even a small amount of help can mean a lot to someone who is going through a challenging season in life. We want these patients to know that they have not been forgotten.”

Attendees will have access to a wide array of educational resources and health screenings from regional organizations, including Unity Wellness Center, Operation Wipe Out Cervical Cancer of Alabama, the Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System of Chambers County, Spencer Cancer Center and Neicey’s Oil. A sweet treat table is being donated by Judea’s Creation.

To keep the crowd moving and energized, returning instructors Tera McCarty, Dancing with Gwen and Groovin with Shon will lead participants through fitness and line dance routines.

“Growth is not just about how many people attend,” Holloway said. “It is about people seeing the need and being willing to step up without expecting anything in return. It is about businesses, organizations and individuals coming together because they genuinely want to help somebody else.”

Holloway encourages community members, churches and local businesses to attend, volunteer or contribute gas cards and monetary donations ahead of the event.

“Don’t wait until something is wrong to start thinking about your health,” Holloway said. “Make time for your checkups, talk with your healthcare provider, stay active and encourage your loved ones to do the same. We are doing this out of love. We are doing this to give back. And we are doing this because all cancers matter.”

Those interested in sponsoring, donating gas cards, setting up as a vendor or volunteering can contact Holloway at (334) 497-4678 or reach out through Blessed Body & Fitness Gym.