Bend event offers ways to prepare for winter

A winter preparedness event held Saturday in Bend sought to remind the public to take care of their bodies and homes during the cold season.

Experts hope despite anything that comes along including health, emergencies or disasters, people will still make a big effort.

Rite Aid in Bend held the winter wellness event and invited the Red Cross and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to provide information on emergencies.

Those emergencies include troubles that know no season, like power outages and earthquakes.

“(When) we think holidays, we are always stressed about Thanksgiving and our food and Christmas, making sure we got presents. But really, there are a lot of other things that happen through the winter,” said Lani Davis, a wellness ambassador for the Bend North Rite Aid.

“Usually our immune systems are down. Power outages can be fairly common, like we see on the East Coast. Things can happen so fast, and we just want to make sure people are prepared for everything.”

Davis recommends people having access to enough water, stocking up on canned foods, getting alternate electricity sources and making sure necessary medications are filled and ready to go.

Rite Aid will throw another wellness event in February.