PELHAM – Over 200 people gathered at the Pelham Civic Complex for the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Healthy Lifestyles Expo and Health Care Professional of the Year Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Greater Shelby Chamber CEO Kirk Mancer said both events promoted healthy living, honored local health care professionals and celebrated the fact that Shelby County is the healthiest county in Alabama.

“(The Chamber’s) Health Care Work Group decided that recognizing the health care professionals who provide care to this county is an important program to undertake,” Mancer said. “The fact that we are the healthiest in the state is a reflection of the work that our health care professionals do.”

The Healthy Lifestyles Expo, which took place from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m., featured representatives from local health care entities who provided tips and resources to help people make healthy choices.

“Some are here because they are interested in making some lifestyle changes and we’re here to help them start taking those tiny steps,” former Health Care Work Group chair Vicki Everett said.

The Healthy Lifestyles Expo was primarily sponsored by the HealthSouth Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital of Homewood. Other health care entities that were featured include the YMCA, Brookwood Baptist Health, Home Care Assistance, Galleria Woods, Shaklee, Juice Plus, St. Vincent’s Health System, Choice Home Care, Grandview Medical Center, Therapy South, Schaeffer Eye Center, Health South and Heartland.

Home Care Assistance owner Debra Beadles said the expo served as a way to highlight the importance of healthy living.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to make the medical field a focus,” Beadles said.

During the luncheon, which was primarily sponsored by St. Vincent’s Health Systems, Marty Lovvorn of Precision Chiropractic in Pelham was recognized as the Chamber’s 2017 Health Care Professional of the Year. Lovvorn said he was honored, and did not expect to win.

“We’re so blessed in this area to have such amazing health care professionals. To have even been nominated is an honor,” Lovvorn said. “(Precision Chiropractic) is so blessed in that we get to serve a lot of people in this area.”

The Chamber also recognized state Rep. April Weaver, R-Brierfield, as the Health Advocate of the Year for her role in the formation of the Alabama Rare Disease Advisory Council. Barbara Zieba was named the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Month.