weekend when the Island's annual Health Expo was held at the Royal Naval Dockyard.

Sunny skies brought hundreds of adults and children outside for the event, which promised those an afternoon of educational fun.

The event, which ran from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., offered various activities, including a bouncy fun castle, a magic show and a health walk around Dockyard with the theme "Go with the Glow'' in which those registered could wear glow-in-the-dark bands and roses in recognition of the International Year of the Older Persons.

Also scheduled were presentations on issues such as how violence affects males in our society, alcohol and drug prevention and general health matters.

Kids had the opportunity to learn aerobics and to go on a Peanut Hunt while culture abounded in the forms of a Gombey demonstration and a concert from the gospel choir Fires in Africa.

One of the event's main organisers Theresa Cameron described how the day's activities went.

"It's gone wonderfully,'' she said. "A lot of planning was put into it and, so far, the response from the public has been good.'' Ms Cameron explained the idea behind the Health Expo.

"It's really just to give the kids a safe place to come and enjoy themselves in a healthy way,'' she said.

"For example, instead of a candy hunt, we're going to have a peanut hunt.'' She added that all of the funds raised by the event will go towards the Women's Resource Centre.

"We're basically raising as much money as we can to help them continue to support women who are victims of domestic violence and rape.'' Giving a lecture on how violence affects males in society was William Oliver, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Indiana.

He explained what his presentation would be about.

"I'll be giving a short talk about the responsibilities associated with manhood,'' he said.

"You see, I believe that many of the problems in males' behaviour today are a product of a dysfunctional definition of manhood, whether it comes out in toughness, in sexual conquest or just in general thrill-seeking.'' "There are too many young boys not making a successful passing into manhood,'' Dr. Oliver added. You find a large number of young men these days involved in drug selling or some other criminal behaviour.'' A criminologist, Dr. Oliver specialises in studying how violence affects African-American males and is the author of the book "The Violent Social World of Black Men''.

Since arriving in Bermuda, he has conducted a three-hour workshop on domestic violence with batterers and has taken a focus group with several inmates of the Westgate Correctional Facility.