Blue Cross partners with West Side HS for care fair

CHICAGO — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois partnered with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School to give West Side families an opportunity to focus on their health and get their hands on some turkeys ahead of the holidays.

“It’s really important to bring awareness and to bring access for health to the community,” said Mayra Gradilla, interim principal at Cristo Rey.

Families could get health screenings done at the fair, as well as get updated vaccinations for COVID-19 and the flu from the Chicago Department of Public Health.

With Chicago being back to a medium level of COVID cases, city officials are encouraging residents to get their updated booster shots before holiday gatherings.

“We were heavily affected by the pandemic,” Gradilla said. “And during the pandemic, we understood the need when it comes to healthcare and resources.”

Besides offering health screenings and vaccination boosters, hundreds of free turkeys and boxes of fruits and vegetables were also handed out at the fair, just two weeks ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“The feedback has been great,” Gradilla said. “A lot of our families, students, parents have been here [and] we just look forward to hosting more events for the community in the future.”