A small tent packed with folding chairs was filled to capacity Thursday as East Ridge residents waited their turn to receive free diagnostic testing at the Walgreens on Ringgold Road.
Kaye Koehler, 50, was on her way to get an Icee nearby when she saw a red Walgreens bus in the parking lot.
"We just happened upon it, and we thought we might as well stop and get tested," she said.
The AARP/Walgreens wellness tour kicked off the Chattanooga leg of a bus campaign in East Ridge on Thursday with the nationwide goal of providing more than 2.5 million free health screenings worth $60 million by the end of spring 2011.
Walgreens and the retiree group AARP are equally funding the tour, the local leg of which was intended to coincide with the annual Riverbend Festival.
Cora Parrish, 74, waited in 87 degree heat with her husband for her number to be called.
"I never go to the doctor," she said. "Every time I have my cholesterol checked, it's high, and I haven't had it checked enough."
Walgreens representative Martha Banda, who takes blood on board the specialized bus that is built with a waiting room and several screening rooms, said the goal is to perform 130 screenings during normal days, and 200 to 300 screenings per day during Riverbend.
"Typically we try to go to the more underserved areas, where we can screen the most people," Ms. Banda said. "It's a $140 value totally for free."
Six certified health screeners test cholesterol levels, blood pressure, bone density, glucose levels, waist circumference, body composition and body mass index, a process that takes 15 to 25 minutes.
Johnny Bridges, 58, said he read about the tour in the newspaper and made plans to stop by.
"I'm not worried about anything; I just came here to get some tests," he said.
During a 2009 national tour, 68 percent of those screened had high body mass index, 64 percent had high blood pressure, 41 percent had high cholesterol and 36 percent had low bone density, Walgreens said in a news release.
"Walgreens and the AARP know that early detection is the key to staying healthy," Ms. Banda said on a break between testing patients. "There are a lot of symptoms that go undetected, where people could be at risk for disease."
Nine customized buses will visit more than 3,000 neighborhoods in 300 cities in 45 states and Puerto Rico this year. No appointments are necessary, and anyone over 18 is eligible to receive free screenings, and a free year of membership in AARP.