Recreational Sports at the University of Georgia is hosting BeWellUGA Fest, a free semi-annual wellness event, on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. for students to connect with campus resources, therapy dogs, giveaways and other activities.

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While hosted in the Ramsey Student Center, a few goals of Williamson included an increase in accessibility and expand the reach of BeWellUGA Fest to over 1,000 students. Lisa Williamson, associate director of fitness, well-being and student engagement said that she hoped the event would offer an opportunity attendees can remember after their time at UGA.

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“We’re trying to create these mini-experiences that can then get built on and hopefully, will continue to grow as positive well-being habits,” Williamson said. “We want more students to experience what we’re doing and the resources that are available to them.” 

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BeWellUGA Fest became a “signature event” in 2021 after allocating resources from Student Affairs, the health center and several other departments at UGA. The coordinators curated the event to include all dimensions of well-being: purpose, social, physical, financial and mental. Activities such as wheelchair basketball, sleep hygiene with essential oils and succulent planting can be expected at the campus event.

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Before 2021, BeWellUGA Fest was exclusively through the health center’s facility. Over the years, the festival worked to create a safe space for college students to meet new people and build long-term wellness skills. As a way to continue sharing information and receive feedback from attendees, UGA Student Affairs used post-event surveys to learn more about the student experience and offer direct resources to those who inquired. 

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In addition to general wellness, Recreational Sports, Student Care and Outreach, the Disability Resource Center and counseling are all offered at UGA. To request a program or find a well-being hub on campus, more information can be found on the UGA Well-Being Resources website. 

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Keywords: health, wellbeing, BeWellUGAFest, festival, self-care, student outreach, therapy dogs, mental health, physical health, giveaways