Porter Smith’s breakfast treat was a hit with the critics. The 9-year-old fourth grader at Earl Elementary handed out samples of sourdough breakfast bars with apple butter and honey Saturday morning
Smith was one of six finalists who put their healthy recipes to the test during the Kids Celebrity Chef competition at the 19th annual Wellness Fair at Boyertown Senior High School.
Porter Smith, 9, a fourth grader at Earl Elementary, hands out samples of his sourdough breakfast bar with apple butter and honey during the Wellness Council of Boyertown’s 19th annual Wellness Fair at the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
This year’s fair saw about 300 families attend, according to Jeff Shontz, executive director of the Wellness Council of Boyertown, which sponsors the event.
“This event is really just about putting on something for the community to come out and enjoy,” he said.
Smith’s bars took the cake for Jayne McHugh, one of the judges for kids cooking competition, and her husband, Tom.
Jayne and Tom McHugh of Boyertown check out the entries in the Kids Celebrity Chef contest during the Wellness Council of Boyertown’s 19th annual Wellness Fair at the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“It was absolutely amazing,” Tom McHugh said.
Smith was one of six finalists. His baked oat squares were packed full of heart-healthy fiber and antioxidant-rich ingredients like honey.
He said he appreciates the opportunity to make many different kinds of things when he cooks or bakes.
Further down the line, Elliana Bradley, equipped with a chef’s hat and ladle, singlehandedly held down her station, doling out “easy vegan potato soup,” to dozens of hungry attendees.
Bradley, 10, of Colebrookdale Elementary, said she worked with her family to perfect the recipe. The results were undeniably tasty.
Elliana Bradley, 10, a fifth grader at Colebrookdale Elementary, pours out some of Ellie’s Kitchen Easy Vegan Potato Soup during the Wellness Council of Boyertown’s 19th annual Wellness Fair at the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The McHughs said they were impressed by how the recipes turned out and how well the kids handled the heat of competition.
Jayne McHugh, a retired Exeter School District elementary school teacher, said she thought the event was a great opportunity to explore a slice of what Boyertown has to offer.
“It’s a beautiful community,” she said. She noted that she and Tom are Boyertown born and raised.
“The volunteerism here is amazing,” Tom McHugh said.
Wellness fair events kicked off in the morning with a kindness-themed, community impact walk as well as a bit of friendly competition.
The annual Running of the Bears rally saw families from local elementary schools complete laps around the school’s track.
The school tallying the most laps gets the “Healthy Bear,” a model bear that moonlights as a trophy and enduring symbol of wellness.
Another wellness themed event was Senior Walking Bingo, where several dozen seniors completed a circuit around the high school’s halls while hoping for a lucky call.
Stacey Brennan, right, from the Center at Spring Drive, calls bingo numbers in a walking bingo exercise during the Wellness Council of Boyertown’s 19th annual Wellness Fair at the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“It’s just to have fun with the seniors,” said Kim Haas, director at the Center for Spring Street senior center, which was responsible for the bingo walk. “We have some members here (playing), but most of them are not. The goal is to get them to come and check us out.”
Stacey Brennan, right, from the Center at Spring Drive, and Kim Haas, left, director of the center, lead participants in a walking bingo exercise during the Wellness Council of Boyertown’s 19th annual Wellness Fair at the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The center provides a place to socialize and have fun for adults over 55, with regular events like live entertainment, dances, bus trips, bingo and more.
It was among about 25 organizations and groups offering information on their services at the event.
Jenny Craig, who writes poems under the moniker Jenny Daughter of the Mountains, was offering poetry as a healing service.
“It’s about healing through self-expression and connection,” she said.
She was asking attendees to share what brought them to the fair in one word, forming a list that she aimed to combine into a poem.
Organizations at the event included BASD Pre-K Counts, Bear’s Den Fitness, CC’s Creations, Compass Counseling and Associates, Foundation for Boyertown Education, Healthy Kids Running Series, Healing Phases, Limerick Chiropractic Center, Phoenix Physical Therapy, Pottstown Hospital – Tower Health, Pottstown Regional Community Foundation, Renewal by Anderson and Sri Sri Tattva.
