Meet our volunteers

“It’s important to give back to the community,” Ms. Lukashunas says. “The disease contributed to 25,000 flu-related deaths and 350,000 flu-related hospitalizations in the past flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year at the fair, we gave more than 4,300 people in the community free immunizations.”

“Volunteering at the fair is an excellent way to meet, interact with and teach patients and members in the community in a relaxed environment,” Ms. Lukashunas explains. “Plus, it gives me the opportunity to work alongside other professionals from other departments at Geisinger — and it’s fun.” 

Ms. Lukashunas says she’s grateful that Geisinger not only gives back to its employees, but to the community as well.

As a volunteer for three years, she’s happy to educate others on the topic of respiratory health, especially those who may suffer from chronic respiratory diseases or children with asthma. “If we were only able to just prevent one patient from becoming ill, it is worth it,” says Ms. Ritz.  

Ms. Ritz emphasizes the importance of educating people outside of a hospital setting — it’s one of the reasons she continues to volunteer at the fair. “When you’re in a hospital and trying to learn while you’re sick, it is very difficult,” she says. “You’re getting a million different things thrown at you, so you’re not really taking all the information in.”

Ms. Ritz provides information on respiratory-related topics such as asthma, smoking cessation and the Better Breathers Club support group. Pulse oximetry checks, which measure oxygen levels, are also available.  

Ms. Ritz urges visitors to the fair to check out the props on display. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” she says. “The reactions people have when seeing the damaged lungs is priceless.”

The health manager in the Family Practice department at Geisinger Woodbine Lane has given free flu shots to fair attendees for the last few years. She loves the atmosphere of the fair and interacting with patients and members in a different environment.

But it hasn’t all been fun and games. Her first year volunteering at the fair hadn't even started when she found herself in an emergency situation.

“Right before we opened our booth, a woman fell nearby and hurt her face,” said Ms. Aleta. “I had these small gauze pads for the flu shots, so a woman selling peanuts near the booth gave us paper towels and we had to call 911.” 

Despite the difficult start to the festivities, Ms. Aleta’s nursing experience was put to good use to help a patient in need.

The second year she signed up to volunteer, Ms. Aleta didn’t even make it to her first shift.

“The night before I was scheduled, I got food poisoning,” she said. “My manager called me, and I said, ‘I’m in the ER, I can’t come to the fair.’”

But the brief illness didn’t stop her from covering several shifts throughout fair week.

Last year, Ms. Aleta started her week at the fair with a bang — literally. She was involved in a car accident the day before as she was on her way to pick up her granddaughter from her bus stop.

Ms. Aleta was able to get out of her vehicle as she heard screams and saw smoke coming from another car involved in the wreck. She rushed over to help the driver and young passengers.

“I was trying to get blankets out of my car, get them snacks, anything to calm them down,” she explained. “I was running around and shouting at people for help until I got a tap on the shoulder. A police officer said I shouldn’t be helping, that I needed to go to the hospital.”

Ms. Aleta takes all the setbacks in stride — she often jokes about the luck she’s had as a Bloomsburg Fair volunteer. “Each year I joke that I’m not volunteering anymore, but I still do,” she said.

This year, Ms. Aleta is getting ready to again provide flu shots. Last year, the team administered more than 4,000 vaccines.

“This year we hope to give out 5,300 flu shots,” she said.