Credit: Anthony Reed

Attendees and vendors at the Shine WellFest’s fair in the Student Center Glasscock Family Foundation Ballroom at Cleveland State University on March 6, 2025.

WellFest promotes community wellness at CSU

Hundreds of CSU students, faculty and staff attended Shine WellFest 2025, learning how to better their health

By ANTHONY REED – posted March 12, 2025

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff attended the 19th annual WellFest hosted by Cleveland State University's Rec Center in the Student Center on March 6.

Since the summer of 2006, the CSU Rec Center has been organizing WellFest to promote community wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle.

“(Our goal) is to just bring as much community and as much wellness resources to our students as possible,” said Laura Garvin, graduate supervisor of recreation programming.

Garvin highlighted the importance of getting in touch with the business vendors and CSU organizations in order to “reach out a hand” to attendees seeking resources.

Vendor Fair list — The list of organizations that were present at the Shine WellFest vendor fair on March 6, 2025. (credit: Anthony Reed)

The vendor fair at this year's WellFest featured over 30 organizations that specialize in not only mental and physical well-being, but academic and financial help as well. Since the Shine Well initiative was implemented, CSU has made it part of its mission to help students improve on seven dimensions of wellness: developmental, emotional, environmental, financial, physical, social and spiritual.

“I think the event is important in helping others as well as ourselves,” Madyson Hendrix, a psychology major at CSU, said.

Hendrix was one of many CSU students to take advantage of what WellFest had to offer, as she went from table to table gathering useful details from the various vendors.

Offerings included Shine Well Jeopardy, an avocado toast bar, mini massage chairs, a rowing machine, fitness challenges from the CSU doctor of physical therapy program, pilates classes, a sound bath, counseling sessions and art therapy workshops from the Counseling and Academic Success Clinic (CASC), therapy dogs and prizes and raffle giveaways.

DPT Program Section — CSU doctor of physical therapy program’s fitness testing/education section and Dance for Parkinson’s information table in the Student Center atrium at WellFest on March 6, 2025. (credit: Anthony Reed)

Y Balance Magnus — CSU mascot Magnus does the Y-Balance test at WellFest in the Student Center atrium on March 6, 2025. (credit: Anthony Reed)

Attendees playing Shine Well Jeopardy at WellFest, March 6, 2025. (credit Anthony Reed)

Along with the information for attendees, engagement was also key to the success of the event.

“It’s so fun, it’s great interaction and it’s nice to have people who want to come participate and play games,” said Alison Cooney, dietitian for Aramark’s Midwest Region.

As a first time vendor at WellFest, Cooney was excited to be part of the event. “It’s fun to focus on education,” she said.

For those looking to start or continue their path towards improving their health wellness, visit the CSU Rec Center site and consider taking advantage of its classes and services.

Anyone who missed Shine WellFest 2025 can also visit the Shine Well website to seek some of the resources that were present at this year’s event.

WellFest promotes community wellness at CSU