TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Dozens of families gathered at the Lincoln Neighborhood Service Center for a community health fair hosted by the Bethel AME Church Health Is Life Ministry.

The event offered free health resources while also celebrating the life and legacy of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson on his birthday.

Family physician Linda Walden organized the event.

“Just like Jackie Robinson broke barriers, we are going to break barriers and improve our health,” Walden said.

Walden, who is Robinson’s cousin, said the goal of the event was to promote health awareness and disease prevention.

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“Nobody in the United States of America should be without healthcare,” she said. “Even if they can’t afford it, it should still be a way for them to get access to it.”

Health care vendors provided free screenings and information on cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, dental care and weight management.

Walden said many of the services offered addressed the same health challenges Robinson faced later in life.

“He died at an early age of 53. He didn’t have to die, but he went through so much stress, and stress kills,” she said. “Some of these diseases are silent killers. If they’re not diagnosed early, many people will die at an early age because they did not get screened.”

Walden said the event also served as a celebration of the Cairo native and his accomplishments. “Greatness comes from little towns. We all have the opportunity to be just as great as Jackie Robinson.”

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