COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The African American Male Wellness Agency hosted an UPLIFT HER Mother-Daughter Spaliday event on Saturday morning.
“We want to model for the young ladies that are in our lives and in the community to make sure that they know when they're supposed to start taking care of their health,” said Pamela Gregory, co-founder of African American Male Wellness Agency and UPLIFT HER.
Dozens of women gathered for a day of self care from meditations, a sound bath and going over goals for 2025. It was also led by Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt with the Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals and her daughter, Leah.
Judge Beatty said it’s especially important for the community to prioritize self care amid the holiday season. “The holidays can be so full of stress and anxiety. You can get caught up in your to do lists and your gifts that you want or gifts that you want to give. So what a perfect time to take some time out and take care of yourself along with the person that you take care of,” said Judge Beatty.
The ‘spaliday’ was hosted at Base One in partnership with UPLIFT HER and Penzone Salon and Spa. “My heart is full of gratitude just to see all the moms and daughters and grandmas come together and have this time that's so precious to be together,” said Debbie Penzonem, President and CEO of Penzone Salon and Spa.
UPLIFT HER was created to inform and empower women of color to prioritize health and wellness. “Women die prematurely from breast cancer, from cardiovascular disease. And so our goal is to create an awareness that through prevention, one can live longer,” said Gregory.
Each year, UPLIFT HER hosts a wellness day and the vice president of the African American Male Wellness Agency, Natalie Donnally, announced that it is growing in 2025. The June 18 event is moving to the Ohio Expo Center. “We plan to serve over 7,500 women, making sure that they have equitable access to free health screenings, resources and a job fair,” said Donnally.
You can learn more about their mission here.
