Hard Core Beauty 2nd Annual Health Expo

Extra, Extra, Read all about it…In an age where obesity is at an all-time high and health has become a large focus of most businesses for their employees, I believe we need more events like this. This was the 2^nd Annual Health Expo for Hard Core Beauty that is run by Bridgette Pridgen.  Bridgette is a stay at home mom, a blogger, the radio show host of Hard Core Beauty, and the creator of Eccentric Beauty. Eccentric Beauty was birthed from a desire to provide awareness to people on what we apply and take in our bodies. The brand provides a great balance and insight into her personal life and her personality.

This event is something that is a near and dear cause to Mrs. Pridgen. In speaking with her about the event and what it means to her, she shared that the health fair idea came about as her way to give back to the community. Her radio show Hard Core Beauty is built on the premise of the C.E.L.E.B lifestyle which means Community Education Legacy Empowerment and Business. She wants to give people a platform to help others, to receive quality help and information, and area businesses a chance to gain exposure and expand their business through vending. I recall speaking to her last year and this year prior to the event and to say she was excited and had a high level of enthusiasm in reference to planning the event, would be an understatement. It was a priority of hers to try and involve more of the community, offer a family friendly event that the entire family could come out and learn and enjoy.

The expo tripled in just a year’s time. The event was from 9AM to 2 PM and had snacks donated from Roots to the Soul and On the Boarder. At an all new location in Grand Prairie, it was a perfect fit. The expo was located at IT Fitness Gym located at 2625 Aviation Parkway Grand Prairie, TX and ran by Michael T Booker. This location allowed for space, 27 vendors, volunteers, live remote radio sessions, live mini class sessions, a kid zone, and a concession stand that was beyond reasonable. This atmosphere not only had a personal touch, but I noticed how comfortable people felt, from the volunteers warming smiles to the friendly vendors and the hostess herself moving around and greeting people and mixing and mingling.

The volunteers had on Hard Core Beauty shirts and were very pleasant to work with. The expo offered a raffle that gave away water bottles, blinders, t-shirts, detox teas, workout gear, etc. They offered a segment that got the kids involved in working out for prizes. Michael T Booker had the kids show us how to do push-ups and sit ups as well as shared a little about the classes he offers for adults and children. A DJ was onsite as well and played old school and appropriate new school music.

This year consisted of community partners Parkland Hospital, Walgreens, and Carter Blood Services. The sponsors were Ford, Belk, Grand Prairie city council, AT&T, UPS, Vita Coco Water, Roots to the Soul, TMI media network, Honey Be Natural Magazine, BLI media Group, Illustrious Optics. Carter Blood Care was on site and available to take blood from donors.  Miss Texas also came by the event as well.

The creator of the event shared advice for those considering putting on an event like this, “I would advise if someone is looking to plan an event like this to have a clear concise plan. You should definitely learn the laws and legal aspects of your area with planning or conducting a nonprofit event. You can encounter issues with permits, licenses, etc when you deal with sponsorship, food vendors, etc. So it’s good to do your research!”

When asked what else she would like to share about the event, she said, “overall this was an awesome event and I am so impressed with the vendors, demonstrations, and the support this year! It was challenging at times with balancing the planning, running a radio show, and being a mother and wife but I made it through it! I couldn’t done it without my awesome team and partners. This year I partnered with Rock Performance Gear (Larenda Ross) and IT fitness former NFL player (Michael Booker and Manager Nicole Vasquez) to make this event a success! They were very diligent and assisted me with meeting this year’s goals!  I also am so grateful for my TMI Media Network family who helped me keep things together, encouraged me and kept me on track the day of the event! Kevin Hopwood, Bolanle Alade (Dr.Bo), Kandace Johnson, (Kjoi), Tera (Lady T) Karl Michael Jones were all awesome and I was happy to have them on my team!”

Thank you Bridgette for turning your passion into reality and reminding us how important it is to take care of ourselves and loved ones. It isn’t often that these kinds of events can be family friendly, but you were able to offer this in a central location and at a great time of year.