![Ellen Bowland of the American Red Cross hosts a booth at the Healthy Start County Wide Baby Shower. [ALICIA ADAMS | Press Gazette]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-571315dc-1bcf-04fa-e053-0100007f7ff1-16f77716-scaled.jpeg)
MILTON — For the 10th year, Healthy Start Coalition of Santa Rosa County hosted the Healthy Start Countywide Baby Shower for all new and expecting parents to receive educational information and resources that are available to them in Santa Rosa County.
Booths from dozens of local organizations lined the Santa Rosa County Auditorium and parents made their rounds, receiving advice and knowledge about each organization's mission to assist parents and babies in the community. Breast feeding, nutrition, substance abuse, post-partum depression, family planning, immunizations, safe sleep, shaken babies, car seat safety and tobacco cessation were among topics discussed at the event.
The weekend event was sponsored by Santa Rosa Medical Center and the Florida Department of Health-Santa Rosa. Prizes were raffled off to parents who participated; they were donated by The Boppy Company, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Target, Oops Alley, Family Dollar, Portrait Innovations, Oriental Trading, Rack Room Shoes, OneBlood and Cuties Diapers.
Refreshments were provided by Santa Rosa Medical Center Women's Services.
According to Healthy Start Executive Director Martha Zimmerman, annual attendance is normally around 200-300 people.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Santa Rosa baby shower educates expecting parents