Northshore Health Entertains and Educates with 2026 Health Fair at the RailCats

On Friday, July 31, NorthShore Health teamed up with the Gary RailCats to educate Northwest Indiana residents on the importance of healthcare through their 2026 Health Fair.

The Gary RailCats stadium, the US SteelYard, was packed with thousands of attendees, all of whom enjoyed both the RailCats game against the Lake County Dockhounds and the Northshore Health Centers Fair.

NorthShore lined the interior of the US SteelYard with booths manned by regional health care providers, such as Franciscan Health, and local businesses, like Biggby Coffee. Attendees shuffled from vendor to vendor, several of whom hosted different games and raffles to attract RailCat spectators.

This evening’s RailCats game also had a special theme — K-pop night. Families were particularly fond of this theme, with kids dressing up in different K-pop merchandise, and several vendors adorning their booths with decorations from the movie “K-pop Demon Hunters,” which was tremendously popular with children throughout the night.

The RailCats game itself and the evening’s special K-pop theme were both adeptly used by NorthShore Health to grab the attention of Northwest Indiana residents. Gervay Dickerson, NorthShore’s Director of Community Engagement, chose this night strategically, hoping to get proper healthcare information in front of as many faces as possible.

“You have to think, what would draw a person,” Dickerson said. “What would I want to see if I came? We know that today is K-Pop themed, so we have a lot of K-pop stuff to draw the parents in and the kids. We also provided the first 100 kids with backpacks and school supplies, so we just try to figure out what it is that the community is looking for, and that’s what we’re here to provide.”

NorthShore’s partnership with the Gary RailCats goes back around 12 years, and the partnership has been used to great effect. Thousands of Region residents have learned more about NorthShore’s services, some of which are designed to help disabled or underprivileged folks get proper healthcare in a way that is convenient and affordable.

“We have a 340B pharmacy as well, so individuals can go to a discounted pharmacy. They see the doc, they see their provider for whatever it is that they are there for, because we have so many different services: chiropractic, dental, podiatry. And then once you’re done, once you need your medication, you go to our 340B Pharmacy that’s right there. It’s like a one-stop shop,” Dickerson said.

NorthShore’s Health Fair at the RailCats shows how dedicated they are to their work. The event takes a lot of effort to coordinate and put together, but it’s more than worth it in the eyes of NorthShore Health Centers.

“NorthShore Health Centers are only as successful as the people who work here,” said Wilma Vazquez, a member of Northshore Health Center’s Board of Directors. “The vision of NorthShore is to make sure that everyone gets healthcare. It doesn’t matter what background you have, or where you live –  it’s affordable and it’s quality healthcare. These individuals that are here today are what makes NorthShore what it is right now.”

For more information on NorthShore Health Centers, visit northshorehealth.org.