Saturday, April 11th marked the first Lao New Year Festival held in the Bay Area. Located in front of San Francisco’s City Hall, the all-day festivities attracted thousands of visitors from all over the country. Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center participated in this unique festival by providing on-site Hepatitis B screenings and health education counseling to festival-goers.

It was a clear, blue-sky day—slightly windy, but just right for outdoor celebration. The morning opened with a traditional procession of monks asking for alms and closed as a rousing parade of jubilant participants celebrated the Water Festival, a cleansing ritual welcoming the new year. Loud percussion accompanied the excitement as the parade contingent, many dressed in traditional Lao clothing, splashed water on each other as well as on-lookers through a variety of means. Visitors sampled plenty of traditional Lao food while enjoying the cultural musical performances on the main stage.

For A&PI Wellness Center, the day’s success was an interdepartmental collaboration between Health Education and CARE Services, with the help of our faithful volunteers. By the day’s end, we screened a total of 16 clients and provided vital health information to many more, increasing the visibility of our programs and services while educating the community about the dangers of Hepatitis B.

Testing Clinic Program Specialist Kevin Shi (left) and Testing Clinic Phlebotomist Nathan Manuson (right) with volunteer Ryan-Paul Nebres at A&PI Wellness Center’s booth.	Festival-goers enjoy clear skies at the event.
Nathan Manuson shares health education information.	Nathan Manuson conducts a Hepatitis B screening.