Coaches (from left) Bobby Jones, Erik Soliday, Ashley Anders, Leroy Hood, Tucker Pruitt and Buddy Nobles gathered at the 2018 Kick-Off to Men’s Health to discuss their teams. The annual event will be back July 27.

TIFTON — Tift Regional Medical Center’s annual Kick-off to Men’s Health will be held on Saturday, July 27, from 8-11:30 a.m., at the Tift Regional Community Events Center. This free event is open to all men and registration is not required.

Chris Beckham, host of the Chick-fil-A Football Friday Night Radio Show, will moderate a panel of regional high school football coaches. Each coach will give a preview of their team’s upcoming football season. In addition, sports medicine specialist Dr. Celestine Nnaeto with Georgia Sports Medicine will provide a lecture on avoiding sports concussions and preventing athletic injuries.

Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) will also be offering free health screenings, information tables, complimentary food, door prizes, giveaways and more.

“This is a great way for men to take advantage of free screenings and health information while gearing-up for the new high school football season,” said Kristy Walters, TRMC Community Relations Coordinator. “We are so appreciative to Chris Beckham for hosting our coaches’ panel for the 10th year in a row.”

Walters said the coaches featured on the panel will include Ashley Anders with Tift County High School, Erik Soliday with Tiftarea Academy, Buddy Nobles with Irwin County High School, Tucker Pruitt with Fitzgerald High School, Jamie Rodgers with Cook High School, Nick Hayes with Turner County High School and Frankie Carroll with Worth County High School.

“At 8 a.m., we will start with the free health screenings, which will include cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure,” said Walters. “All men who are screened will receive a free insulated tumbler. At 9:00 a.m., sports medicine specialist Dr. Celestine Nnaeto will provide a free seminar titled `Avoiding Sports Concussions and Preventing Athletic Injuries.’ All high school football players who attend Dr. Nnaeto’s talk will be entered into a drawing for a Google Chrome Book.”

Walters said the coaches’ panel will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a drawing for $1,000 in door prizes, including a 49-inch LG 4K Ultra HD TV, a portable grill, coolers, gift cards and more.

“An important component of Tift Regional Medical Center’s mission is to raise the health and wellness of our community through free education, screenings and health fairs,” said Walters. “This will be a fun, interactive event focusing on the importance of wellbeing for men.”

The Tift Regional Community Events Center is located in Tifton at 1656 South Carpenter Rd., connected to the Tiftarea YMCA. Visit www.tiftregional.com for more information or call (229) 353-6316.