"This year, we encouraged people from all walks of life to be involved and to get to 'know their numbers.' Based on these results, they did just that," said 9Health Fair President and CEO, Jim Goddard. "People who participated this year should be very proud for going to a 9Health Fair. They are learning how to maintain their good health, which means they have a better chance of preventing a serious health emergency in the future and can add more good years to their lifespan."

Advances in screening technology allowed 9Health Fair to, for the first time ever, make phone calls to people with critical or alert colon cancer screening results. People who purchased a colon cancer screening take home kit had a more thorough educational experience with volunteer medical experts, and those who mailed in their samples had their results analyzed by Quest Diagnostics to help more accurately determine colon cancer risks.

Additional preliminary results from the 2008 9Health Fair include the following:

· 19,000 volunteers helped run a 9Health Fair; nearly 50 percent were medical professionals

· 91,165 people went to a 9Health Fair at 155 locations in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska

· 87,179 had a 31-component blood chemistry screening which provides baseline information on cholesterol, blood glucose, liver, kidneys, thyroid levels and more.

· 51,695 took the blood count screening which checks for anemia, liver disease and certain cancers and checks the body's ability to fight infection

· 24,711 men had Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) screening which checks for prostate cancer and other prostate gland-related issues

· Approximately 2,000 women had Pap smears to check for cervical cancer; nearly 1,000 individuals whose results were abnormal received a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) screening

· 1,055 had a colon cancer screening to check their risk for colon cancer; 9 percent of these participants received a follow-up call with positive results

· Approximately 15,000 qualified for a finger stick glucose screenings to check their diabetes risk; over 40 percent reported higher than normal levels

· At least 10,000 qualified for an osteoporosis screening which checks for bone strength

· 13,491 discovered their 10-year risk for heart disease through the Cardio Risk Assessment

· 1,482 phone calls by 9Health Fair nurses were made to participants within 72 hours of their visit notifying them of a health issue that needed immediate attention

· 1,860 vouchers were utilized by members of underserved communities

In addition, people who attended this year's 9Health Fair had the chance to win one of 12 free memberships to the 24-Hour Fitness club of their choice and four complimentary personal training sessions. The winners were randomly selected in late June and included winners from: Aurora, Bayfield, Denver, Fountain, Ft. Collins, Golden, Lafayette, Littleton and Thornton. 24-Hour Fitness has 26 clubs to serve the community throughout Colorado.

"Without the generous support from all of our sponsors and volunteers, 9Health Fair simply would not be the program it is today," said Goddard.

For more information on how to volunteer, donate or participate in 9Health Fair, please visit www.9healthfair.org.

About 9Health Fair
9Health Fair is Colorado's largest non-profit, volunteer-driven health fair program that promotes health awareness and encourages individuals to assume responsibility for their own health. Created by a National Institutes of Health project and 9NEWS, 9Health Fair's free and low-cost health screenings and education program has earned unique endorsements from the Colorado Medical Society, the Colorado Nurses Association and the Colorado Hospital Association.

Since 1980, 9Health Fair has impacted 1.7 million lives. As an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, 9Health Fair is proud of its financial management performance, keeping its administration and fundraising expense under 17 percent of its total budget, well under the industry average of 20-25 percent.

Major sponsors for the 2008 9Health Fair include 9NEWS, Quest Diagnostics, UniPath, King Soopers/City Market, GE Healthcare and Abbott. Special thanks to The Colorado National Guard for its continued 9Health Fair support through delivering supplies to volunteers and sites around the state.

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