By Meagan IngersonThe Daily Northwestern
Between manicures and massages, Evanston’s inaugural Girls’ Night Out proved to be a luxurious way to get a free HIV screening or blood pressure check.
The event, which took place Monday night at the Evanston Police Outpost, 633 Howard St., offered free health tests, fitness advice and a buffet dinner to the more than 100 women who attended.
Funded by grants from the Illinois Department of Health’s women and minority health offices, Girls’ Night Out was aimed at increasing health awareness among minority women as part of National Women’s Health Week, which began Sunday, said Evonda Thomas, Evanston’s division chief of personal health services.
“We wanted to do things that women would enjoy and that were attractive to get them out,” said Thomas, who organized the event.
Participants also received bouquets of flowers, tote bags and pink hats and scarves to promote breast cancer awareness. Several prizes, such as facials and a membership to L.A. Fitness, were also given away in a drawing.
The event targeted black and Hispanic women because of the disparity in health care that exists for minority women, as well as the high cancer rates found in that population, Thomas said.
Girls’ Night was primarily advertised through bulletins sent to area churches with large minority congregations, an idea proposed by health program coordinator Zollie Webb.
Chicago resident Juanezetta Henry, who volunteered at the event, said she decided to help out to promote women’s health awareness.
“A lot of African-American women don’t take care of their health,” Henry said. “Anything we can do to pull (in) women of the community, I’m going to step in.”
With the city’s free HIV and STD clinics closing at the end of June, Thomas said Girls’ Night organizers also intended to use the event to cover some of the free health services that will soon be outsourced to other groups.
Girls’ Night was intended “to help us refer (residents) to community partners that actually provide the services,” Thomas said.
Such partners include CarePoint, an HIV/AIDS prevention organization, and Access Community Health Network. The groups co-sponsored the event.
Girls’ Night organizers also awarded certificates of appreciation to several women who attended for being role models of wellness in the community, Thomas said. Honorees included city clerks, HIV testing advocates and breast cancer survivors.
“They’re doing things in the community and a lot of them never get their names mentioned,” Webb said. “They work real hard and nobody ever says thank you.”
Evanston resident Pamela Wells volunteered at the manicure booth.
“I just wanted to check it out,” Wells said. “I thought it would be nice to volunteer, to help women feel beautiful.”
Rebecca O’Kelley, who was volunteering with CarePoint at the event, received a manicure from Wells after getting her free massage.
“I’m just enjoying it, having a good time eating the food and socializing with the (other) women,” she said.
Shanetta Thornton, who currently resides at A Safe Haven halfway house, said her favorite activity offered was her free massage, though she planned to go to each station.
“I’m taking advantage of it all,” she said. “I want to know everything.”
Reach Meagan Ingerson at [email protected].
