Salinas Valley Health Presents MEGA Body at the California International Airshow Salinas

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Salinas Valley Health (Salinas Valley Health) will feature the MEGA Body inflatable walk-through exhibit at the California International Airshow Salinas. The MEGA Body is a larger than life, interactive, education model of the human body designed to teach people about the risks, symptoms and causes of many diseases. The exhibit will be featured inside the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Tent on Saturday and Sunday.

“We are proud to introduce the MEGA Body exhibit at this year’s Airshow,” says Pete Delgado, President/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “Our hope is that this exhibit will not just teach children about the human body and healthy living but also get them thinking about a career in the medical field.”

Approximately 600 students from elementary schools in East Salinas, Gonzales, San Ardo, Soledad, Santa Cruz and San Benito County will be taking tours of the STEM Tent and the MEGA Body exhibit. The Mega Body is 50 feet long, 15 feet wide and 12 feet high. Students will enter the MEGA Body mouth and hear presentations, which include information on the skin, brain, mouth, heart, lungs and digestive system.

“I’m looking forward to volunteering at the MEGA Body exhibit,” says Yuji Saito, MD, PhD, a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Salinas Valley Health Clinics Central Coast Cardiology. “This is a great opportunity for physicians, nurses, and other hospital staff to reach out to the community and share their knowledge with children and adults. We’ll explain the function of organs in a fun and interactive manner.”

Other exhibits featured in the STEM Tent include a Portable Planetarium, a NASA exhibit, an Automotive & Diesel exhibit, a Robotics and Rocketry exhibit and a real time Flight Simulator. The goal of the STEM Tent is to get the children thinking about careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The tours take place Saturday and Sunday starting at 9:00 am and ending at noon. Following the STEM activities, students will enjoy lunch and the airshow.

The STEM Tent started four years ago with 150 students participating; that number doubled the following year, and doubled again the year after. The STEM Tent is located on the Helicopter pad near Jet West at the Salinas Municipal Airport. Anyone attending the airshow can take a free tour of the MEGA Body exhibit and see the other exhibits featured in the STEM Tent. The STEM Tent is sponsored by several local companies including Salinas Valley Health.