The Boys and Girls Club of Sequoyah County second annual Taste of Sallisaw will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Sallisaw High School Commons Area.

The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children.

“Come sample delicious menu items from area restaurants,” Noreen Reininger, Boys and Girls Club chief executive officer, said.

There will be a live auction with State Rep. Glen ‘Bud’ Smithson (D-Sallisaw) as auctioneer, live music, and free iris scanning and free bone density screening.

The free iris scanning for children ages 4 to 12 is more accurate then fingerprinting. The scan is downloaded into a secure registry maintained by the Nation’s Missing Children Organization, Amanda Trudeau with the Eye Clinic in Sallisaw, said.

Sheriff’s offices and social service agencies across the nation can locate and positively identify missing children when they are found, Trudeau said.

The iris scanning is sponsored by the Oklahoma Optometric Association.

The bone density screening is for ages 60 and older and is sponsored by Sequoyah Memorial Hospital in Sallisaw.

Like other organs in the body, bones are constantly changing. Throughout childhood and as young adults, bones grow in strength and in size. Around the age of 30, bones reach their peak strength and then naturally become weaker with age. Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weak to the point of breaking,” Holly Dickson, hospital public relation officer, said.

Osteoporosis is often called the silent disease. There are rarely signs until a lot of bone has been lost. A medical test that measures the amount of bone is the only way to detect osteoporosis. The Achilles test ultrasonometer is one such test, Dickson said.

The Achilles test provides information about the risk of bone fracture in the same way as a cholesterol test indicates risk of a heart attack. The test requires a bare foot and takes about one minute,” Dickson said.

All proceeds for the Taste of Sallisaw will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Sequoyah County.

“The benefits of the club are far more reaching than most people realize. The reason I became interested in helping the club is because I asked myself …Where would these kids go and who would provide them a safe haven if this club didn’t exist? Not to mention the many wonderful services they are able to receive while attending the club,” Judy Martens, Boys and Girls Club board member, said.

“The Boys and Girls Club truly does create a better quality of life for many of our children and their parents. I just don’t think people realize what a difference this club makes in the lives of our children in Sequoyah County,” Martens said.

“Through events such as Taste of Sallisaw, we, the board of directors, get a chance to publicize the great works of the staff while providing a fun filled evening for everyone,” Martens said.