Kicking off another year of promoting overall health and well-being, College of the Canyons staff hosted the  Body Mind Wellness Resource Fair on Wednesday.

The annual event promotes the programs and resources the college offers students, as well as provide fun and, always popular among college students — music and free sandwiches.

The Student Nutrition and Wellness Advocates at COC aso looked to raise esteem and conversation about beauty, with the group’s “Everyone is Beautiful” Fashion Show, which invites all students to model and celebrates all backgrounds and body types, said Sheri Barke, COC dietitian for the Student Health and Wellness Center, who organized the show.

More than two dozen students modeled different looks in front of students at the Honor Grove, as representatives from throughout the community answered questions for students who milled through the various booths.

“We are so honored to have our community providers here to share their knowledge and resource with our campus community,” said Larry Schallert, assistant director for COC’s Student Health and Wellness Center. “It’s so amazing to see students reaching out to find the kind of services they or their friends might need.”

The campus has made a concerted effort to promote mental health, body wellness and resources after administrators were devastated by the news of three local college students who killed themselves last year, and mental health officials did not have any record of the students visiting counseling centers or one of the community groups.

“I also really wanted to thank our local partners for being here to help get the word out that there is help on campus, and in the community,” Schallert said, “for whatever they need — whether it’s emotional distress health needs or wellness activities.”  

COC is continuing its highlight of programs, resources and awareness in September with a conference on human trafficking set to=

The event included music from KHTS AM-1220, concert ticket and interviews as well as free food and different giveaways.

There will be a number of different events held by BMW through the remainder of September as well as throughout October and November that will cover a range of topics, such as human trafficking, suicide prevention, body image, domestic violence and veterans issues.

For more information on the different topics covered and events planned for Body Mind Wellness, please visit the Body Mind Wellness page on the College of the Canyons website.