GreatNews.Life Student Voices: La Porte takes a step for the arts, celebrates the fair, and promotes a healthier community

What recently happened?

The 179th annual La Porte County Fair was recently held at the county fairgrounds, and was a huge success.

La Porte County hosts the oldest county fair, and it began in 1845. In the eight days that the fair spanned, there were rides, games, pageants, and events galore. The main event of this year was the musical performance of Warren Zeiders and special guest Austin Williams. Other events included Extreme Raptors, a bird showing, Queen City Stunt Circus, Gizmo D. Robot, Full Throttle Monster Trucks, and many more.

Carnival rides have been the main reason many go to the fair. The rides ranged from Super Nova to the Matterhorn. On the other hand, many 4-H members and alumni showed off their livestock. La Porte County is known for its large selection of draft horses due to how large the club is in the area. Other animals include cows, bunnies, chickens, and goats.

Food trucks and stands from all over flocked to the fair due to high attendance. From fried vegetables to cheesecake on a stick, there is food for everyone at the county fair. Vendors from the area also can display their shops; some sell clothing, while others sell novelty items like jewelry and a different variety of hats.

The La Porte County Fair has always been a staple in La Porte summers, and community members are already anticipating next year’s festivities.

What’s coming up?

The Slicer Performing Arts Club is hosting its first annual SPArC 5K on September 7, 2025 at 10 a.m. The race runs from La Porte High School (LPHS) to Kesling Park and back. This event was put in place to support all of the performing arts at LPHS. From jazz to choir, and from theater to marching band, all of the arts will receive a portion of the proceeds.

“We chose a 5K because we are looking for new and unique ways to raise funds for the performing arts that weren’t being done by any other fundraising group. It is a great way to bring the community together to celebrate the arts. The Slicer Performing Arts Club (PAC) is the primary funding source for all the performing arts at LPHS. The marching band, color guard, winter guard, show choir, and all the theater productions at the PAC are funded through a means of donation. All proceeds from the event go directly back to the programs. SPArC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization consisting of parent volunteers,” Slicer Performing Arts Club Treasurer James Lear said.

The SPArC 5K is open to everyone, running or walking, and future Slicers in fourth grade and below can participate in the Mini Slicer Sprint, which will be held before the race. Medals will be awarded to all participants. In the race, medals will additionally be awarded for the best overall man and woman, and other medals will be awarded to top finishers in each age group.

The race will start in the LPHS South Lot, which can be entered from 10th Street. Additional parking is available in the LPHS North Lot, and can be accessed through I Street.

Race sign-ups are available through the Slicer Performing Arts Club Facebook Group. To sign up for the race, the cost is $30. Sign-ups before August 22 are guaranteed a t-shirt. For the Slicer Sprint, the cost is $20. Sign-ups for the race end on September 6, and spots are filling up fast. Hurry up and get your tickets to help support the Slicer Performing Arts Club!

Community member spotlight:

Kayla Ware is one of the many employees at Healthy Life – La Porte, and she serves as an example of the many impacts of being healthy.

Healthy Life – La Porte was created to help build community and promote healthy lifestyles for all of La Porte County, an idea sparked through Owner Krista Taschler’s personal health journey. With the help of her husband, Bob, they created Healthy Life – La Porte, in hopes of giving back to the community and bringing people together through health. 

Ware became an employee at Healthy Life – La Porte  in 2020. Prior to that, she suffered a severe leg injury that left her in a wheelchair. Throughout the months of being bedridden and going through physical therapy, she began working at Healthy Life – La Porte. As she started drinking the teas and shakes, things began to get better for her.

“From coming in here and having our drinks every day to now, it is crazy how quickly I noticed a difference in my injury. My energy and stamina were shot like I could not be up for that long. I didn’t have the energy to keep moving like I needed to. My daughter, who is 8 years old now, was about 4 or 5 years old when I started here, I couldn’t keep up with her. Very quickly, I started noticing a difference, and I even lost weight. The biggest thing for me is the way that these different products work together to have a noticeable impact on the body. I would not have been able to recover the way that I have from that injury without that push,” Ware said.

Through Ware’s health journey, she has been a major advocate for body positivity. During the creation of Healthy Life – La Porte, one of the major focuses was health for everyone. This idea has been one of the major impacts Ware has made on the community. Health is not just about weight loss, but also for maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

“I think the most important thing about weight loss is that it doesn’t have to be a goal that everybody has. We understand that everybody has different needs and different bodies. You can come in because you’re low on energy and need more energy. You can come in because you’re going to the gym and trying to build muscle. We’ve even had cancer patients come in who are on chemo, who might be losing too much weight, and it helps them maintain. Weight loss is a great goal to have for certain people, but we don’t expect it from everybody. No matter who you are or what your body goals are, we have a way to help you,” Ware said.

Ware is dedicated to bringing a positive impact to the community through the means of health, and wellness. Healthy Life – La Porte is located at 1112 W State Rd 2, where it continues to be a wonderful place that truly has a passion for health.