Those in need of a basic medical check up can check in at Havens Gardens Friday when the North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Healthy Living for a Lifetime mobile unit rolls into town.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the 50-foot, state of the art mobile health-screening unit will be set up at the city park, accompanied by representatives from the Beaufort County Health Department, the Beaufort County Physical Activity and Nutrition Coalition and other organizations working with Farm Bureau on the initiative. Cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index and hemoglobin a1c — a diabetes-related test — will all be checked, and participants can pick up educational materials to help set them on a path to a healthier lifestyle.

According to Mike Garlow, North Carolina Farm Bureau event manager, there are several reasons why Beaufort County residents should attend.

“Well, for one, it’s free,” Garlow said. “These screenings, some of them, can be rather expensive if they were to seek them from a provider.”

“It’s a good thing for folks to get in the habit of knowing their numbers, just get an idea of how they’re doing,” Garlow said.

This is the Healthy Living for a Lifetime mobile unit’s second visit to Beaufort County. In April of 2012, 142 people took advantage of the event. Farm Bureau holds 25 such health screenings across the state every year in communities with the need for the free service.

“The focus of the program is on rural North Carolina. So we start with 85 counties in the state that are designated as rural,” Garlow said. “Now, it’s a matter of trying to spread ourselves out. Primarily, the focus is on getting to these rural communities that don’t always have access to these kind of services on a regular basis.”

“This service addresses a specific and vital need here in our county. We look forward to this opportunity to support our local health care community in addressing the well-being of Beaufort County residents,” Mike Godley, president of Beaufort County Farm Bureau, wrote in an email.

This event is open to the public and no appointment is necessary. Fasting for eight hours prior to the wellness screening is recommended but not required. For more information, call 919-706-4159 or visit www.healthylivingforalifetime.com.