Pacific College in the Community: Earth Day 2001

On April 22 students from Pacific College’s San Diego campus provided free acupuncture consultations for the public at EarthFair, an Earth Day celebration in the city’s historic Balboa Park. Over seventy tongue and pulse diagnoses were performed on event attendees throughout the day. An admissions team from the college was on site to provide information on the college’s programs and distribute complimentary acupuncture treatment certificates for the college’s clinic to new patients.

Pacific College was one of over a dozen alternative or traditional health care exhibitors featured at the event. This year was the fifth year Pacific College has attended EarthFair and provided a free service of this kind. In past years, the college has provided acupuncture treatments as well as chair massage. Each year the college receives an overwhelming response from the public, with a line of people waiting to receive an acupuncture consultation or information. EarthFair serves as an opportunity for the college to educate the public on the health benefits of Chinese medicine and promote its affordable community clinic. Student volunteers get the opportunity to interact with the public and promote themselves as practitioners while gaining clinic credit.

More than 60,000 visitors attend EarthFair in San Diego each year. Started in 1990, EarthFair is the largest free environmental fair in the United States. Produced entirely by some 400 volunteers, EarthFair features more than 200 exhibitors, special health and technology theme areas, a Food Pavilion, a special Kids’ Area, five entertainment venues, and a Children’s Earth Parade.