VA Butler Healthcare chef Rachelle Lyons gives a cooking demonstration at the VA's annual Summer Health and Wellness event. The day highlights some of the free programs the VA offers.

BUTLER TWP — VA Butler Healthcare held several demonstrations Friday with the goal of helping veterans lead healthy lives through proper diet, exercise and medical care.

Its fourth annual Health and Wellness event was hosted by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program. It is designed to spread awareness among veterans of some of the free programs offered by the VA, said Karen Dunn, program manager.

“We’re trying to give them information, a lot of times veterans are not aware of the services we offer,” Dunn said.

Veterans were able to participate in demonstrations of the VA’s free fitness classes, receive a free cookbook and watch a healthy cooking demonstration and get information about VA programs such as MOVE! (weight management), My HealtheVet (an online resource) and tobacco cessation.

The VA offers fitness classes Monday through Friday and offers a wellness center with workout equipment all free to veterans. The classes are taught by a certified YMCA instructor.

Cary Adkins, a certified peer support specialist with the VA, was at the event to share information about Veteran “X,” a unique peer-led support group that has been held at the VA for less than a year.

The group is open to any veteran and is held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday nights.

The veterans, usually between 60 and 80 each week, work together to seek help for “Veteran X,” a fictional person who has many social issues that veterans often experience, he said. In that way the vets learn about the programs.

“It’s a phenomenal program, I’ve never seen another program empower vets more than this program,” Adkins said.

Dave Leo of Connoquenessing Township, a veteran of the Marine Corps, said he has been working out at the VA three times a week for almost a year.

“I’m very pleased with these exercise classes and what they do for the veterans here,” Leo said.

Exercising, even for a short amount of time, has very noticeable health benefits, he said.

“I feel so much better after doing a little bit of exercise,” he said.

Walter Ward of Freeport, a veteran of the Navy, watched a cooking demonstration Friday.

Ward, 88, said he has been coming to the VA facility for 15 years for various things. One key to his health has been avoiding alcohol and tobacco, he said.

“I’m getting along pretty well, so I must be doing something right,” he said.