The ";Capitol Classic," St. Peter's Hospital and New West Health Service's 1-mile fun run and Back to School Health Fair for youth of all ages, is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The non-competitive run begins at 3:30 p.m. near the State Capitol, at the intersection of Montana and Broadway, and follows Broadway to the Hospital. A stretching session will be offered before the race.

Carroll College athletes and members of the Helena Titans semi-professional football team will accompany youth on their run to the hospital, where kids will be greeted by the Helena High Bengalettes and cheerleaders, Smokey Bear, Ciggy, and the Crash Dummies.

A free Back to School Health Fair begins at St. Peter's immediately after the run with refreshments, hands-on activities by Exploration Works, H1N1 flu information, nutrition tips on packing school lunches and many more displays.

All students attending the health fair will receive a free insulated lunch bag and water bottle. Youth need not participate in the run to attend the health fair.

The event is free and open to the public, use St. Peter's main entrance off of Winne Street.

Runners can register up to the day of the race; there is no entry fee. Those who have registered in advance may pick up their T-shirt at Saturday's Farmer's Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a booth near New West Health Services. To register for the run, or for more information, visit www.stpetes.org, or call 444-2135.

Health lecture series begins Sept. 1

St. Peter's Hospital and the Waterford begin a new ";Better Living Lecture Series" season on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The series is a free health and wellness educational lecture program for the community. All of the lectures begin at 6 p.m. in the Hospital's education center, with health education booths opening at 5:30 p.m. Those attending should use the Hospital's Main Entrance.

The first lecture, ";Living Done Right n Eating and Exercising for Optimum Health," will be presented by family physician, Todd Wampler, M.D., Sept. 1. A body mass index check will be offered free of charge, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ";Bone Up on Osteoporosis," is Oct. 6, by rheumatologist Robert McNutt, M.D. Bone density screenings will be offered for $25, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ";Mood Foods n How Nutrition Affects Well Being" will be offered by Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Colegrove on Nov. 3. Free pedometer instruction and diet tips will be offered in advance of the lecture. ";Keeping the Merry in Holidays n Managing Stress," presented by licensed professional counselor Charlotte Fuson, is Dec. 1. Free stress checks with innovative stress dots will begin at 5:30 p.m. The series rings in the new year on Jan. 5 with ";Vitamins n What Works and What's a Waste" by family physician Jim Burkholder, M.D. Free blood pressure screenings begin at 5:30 p.m. ";Thyroid Disorders" is the topic for Feb. 2, with family physician, Richard Sargent, M.D. Thyroid screening coupons will be available. ";Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia" will be offered on March 2, by Neurologist Nicole Clark, M.D. Radiation oncologist, Robert Pfeffer, M.D. talks about ";Coping with Cancer" on April 6; coupons for certain cancer screenings will be available free of charge. The ";Better Living Lecture Series" winds up May 4 with family physician Jessica Bailey, M.D., presenting ";Into the Wild n Outdoor Safety and Preparedness." For more information about St. Peter's community events and classes, visit www.st.petes.org or call 444-2135.

Beat the heat,

help a hospital

On Aug. 13, Dairy Queen restaurants around the state and across the nation are sponsoring a fundraising event to benefit children's hospitals. All day, proceeds from sales of Blizzard treats will go to Children's Miracle Network hospitals like Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena.

Shodair is Montana's only Children's Miracle Network hospital, and funds raised on Thursday will go toward the important services it provides for children and families here in Montana. Shodair administrator Jack Casey said he hopes families and individuals will visit their local Dairy Queen restaurants and treat themselves to Blizzards on the 13.

";It's a tasty way to support kids and Montana's only Children's Miracle Network hospital, and have a little fun, too," he said.

Participating locations include: Bigfork, Billings, Ennis, Forsyth, Great Falls, Hamilton, Havre, Helena, Lakeside, Lolo, Malta, Missoula, and Ronan. More information about Miracle Treat Day and locations of participating restaurants can be found online at http://www.miracletreatday.com.