{"id":78104,"date":"2024-09-19T11:14:29","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T17:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=78104"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:54:35","slug":"fiestas-patrias-in-colorado-springs-celebrating-hispanic-heritage-and-health-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fiestas-patrias-in-colorado-springs-celebrating-hispanic-heritage-and-health-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiestas Patrias: Celebrating Hispanic heritage \u2014 and a boost in health too"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Mexican
Mexican dancers in colorful dresses performed at the 2024 Fiestas Patrias festival in downtown Colorado Springs. Photo by Chuck Bigger, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Horses pranced, and Mexican dancers swished their colorful dresses, turning downtown Colorado Springs into a fiesta on the opening weekend of Hispanic Heritage Month.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a family reunion, like we\u2019re back in Mexico. There\u2019s such a great sense of community,\u201d said Claudia Navarro Martinez while she sat in the plaza outside the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum<\/a>, taking advantage of a free biometric health screening during Fiestas Patrias<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The annual Fiestas Patrias celebration and Hispanic Heritage Month commemorate indpendence<\/a> for Latin American countries from Mexico to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Chile. Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrations throughout the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

In Colorado Springs, along with enjoying performances, food and fun, dozens of Fiestas Patrias attendees stopped by the UCHealth tent to learn how they could jumpstart healthy habits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing I\u2019m going to do is dust off my bike,\u201d Navarro Martinez said in Spanish after going over her medical outlook with bilingual health specialist, Brandon Martinez Garcia.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m going to start drinking more water,\u201d she said with a grin.<\/p>\n

\"Claudia
Claudia Navarro Martinez receives a free biometric health screening from community health specialist, Brandon Martinez Garcia during the annual Fiestas Patrias celebration in Colorado Springs. Inspired by Brandon, Claudia plans to dust of her bike. Photo by Chuck Bigger, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Martinez Garcia gave Navarro Martinez a detailed health screening including an instant measure of her cholesterol levels thanks to a quick finger prick that yielded a couple of drops of blood. The young health worker then analyzed the results and went over his patient\u2019s risk for common medical challenges from diabetes to heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n

While discussing health goals, the health specialist and his patient also bonded over their shared Mexican heritage.<\/p>\n

Martinez Garcia\u2019s family is from coastal Veracruz while Navarro Martinez\u2019 family comes from Central Mexico.<\/p>\n

\"Horses
Horses pranced and people danced and enjoyed fun food and festivities during the 2024 Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Colorado Springs. Photo by Chuck Bigger, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Martinez Garcia and the other health specialists and nurses who staffed the health booth at Fiestas Patrias are part of a special community outreach program called Healthy Hearts and Minds<\/a>. Launched more than 30 years ago by northern Colorado cardiologist Dr. Gary Luckasen, the UCHealth program brings research-based health interventions directly into schools and community events like Fiestas Patrias.<\/p>\n

The Healthy Hearts and Minds team traveled from northern Colorado to Colorado Springs to bring their expertise to the Fiestas Patrias festival. They\u2019re also excited about the continued growth of Healthy Hearts and Minds in Longmont and Colorado Springs schools.<\/p>\n

Luckasen started seeing patients in Loveland in 1977 and launched the Healthy Hearts and Minds program in 1992. He knew that early intervention and teaching children and their families about lifestyle choices could make a big difference in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. (Read about a family whose lives changed thanks to the Healthy Hearts and Minds program.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a huge benefit to the community,\u201d nurse Julie Morain said of the Healthy Hearts and Minds program.<\/p>\n

She loves working with adults and children alike.<\/p>\n

\"Julie
Julie Morain, front left, a nurse who works for the UCHealth Healthy Hearts and Minds program, checks Kathleen Seabron’s blood pressure, front right, during a free health exam at the Fiestas Patrias festival in Colorado Springs. Rear: Brandon Martinez Garcia and Sophia Litzman do screenings for Katheleen’s sister and niece. Photo by Chuck Bigger, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Fiestas Patrias, the team was doing full biometric screenings, which included checking each person\u2019s blood pressure along with their height, weight, body mass index and generating nearly instantaneous measurements of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we spend 15 to 30 minutes with each person \u2014 as long as they want \u2014 going over risk assessments for diabetes, stroke and heart,\u201d Morain said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to educate people. If they are pre-diabetec, a simple screening can help people turn things around,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Community health educator Sophia Litzman enjoys providing detailed health assessments both in schools and at events like Fiestas Patrias.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s wonderful to see people\u2019s eyes light up when they get help and recognize that they can change their health outlook by making simple changes like walking more or lifting weights a couple of times a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of this information is very important to people. We go over the signs and symptoms of a stroke and the 10-year risks of heart disease,\u201d Litzman said.<\/p>\n

In particular, she loves focusing on preventing illnesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my dream job,\u201d said Litzman, who studied exercise physiology at Colorado State University.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Fiestas Patrias celebration in Colorado Springs falls on the first weekend of Hispanic Heritage Month and commemorates Mexico’s independence from Spain. UCHealth experts offered free biometric screenings during the festival. Photo by Chuck Bigger, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kimberly Riggins, 49, stopped by the UCHealth tent with her daughters and sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked hearing all of this. It was so quick, and they only needed two drops of blood. Then he (Brandon) was able to explain all of it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her daughter, Katarina Riggins, 24, really appreciated hearing more about heart attacks and the different symptoms that women experience compared to men.<\/p>\n

Litzman gave Katarina recommendations for exercises she might enjoy that could decrease her risks for cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like to run,\u201d Katarina said.<\/p>\n

Litzman told her that\u2019s just fine. She can find activities she will enjoy, and Litzman encouraged her not to over-exert herself.\u00a0 It\u2019s wise to make sure you can speak while you’re exercising. Otherwise, you might be pushing yourself too hard, Litzman said.<\/p>\n

Ivana Bailey stopped by the tent with her two young daughters.<\/p>\n

Getting a quick check up was more comfortable outdoors \u2014 and during a fun festival \u2014 than a normal visit to a clinic, Bailey said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great experience. I never go to the doctor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her results turned out great and inspired Bailey to keep setting a healthy example for her girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy that everything looked good.\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Horses pranced, and Mexican dancers swished their colorful dresses, turning downtown Colorado Springs into a fiesta on the opening weekend of Hispanic Heritage Month. \u201cIt\u2019s like a family reunion, like we\u2019re back in Mexico. There\u2019s such a great sense of community,\u201d said Claudia Navarro Martinez while she sat in the plaza outside the Colorado Springs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":78092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[423,3921,379,21],"class_list":["post-78104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-colorado-springs","tag-community-benefits-report","tag-healthy-hearts-and-minds","tag-southern-colorado"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCelebrate Hispanic heritage at Fiesta Patrias\u2014 and a boost in health 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