ROCK Wellness Weekend brings together education, prevention, and community care in one space. Across two days, residents, clinicians, partners, and vendors connect through screenings, learning sessions, movement demos, and real support that strengthens health access for BIPOC families navigating autoimmune and chronic illness.
ROCK Summit
ROCK Expo
5th Ward MSC | Houston, TX
5th Ward MSC | Houston, TX
Friday, February 20th
Saturday, February 21st
9:00am - 4:00pm
10:00am - 3:00pm
5th Ward MSC
5th Ward MSC
- Friday is for learning, strategy, and collaboration.
- Saturday is for community, screenings, movement, and support.
This weekend helps to close the gap between research and real life. Between systems and neighborhoods. Between what we know and what communities actually need.
What is ROCK Wellness Weekend?
ROCK Weekend Community Partners
Why ROCK Weekend Matters
Autoimmune disease, long COVID, and chronic illness affect BIPOC communities at higher rates, yet diagnosis, access, and culturally informed care remain inconsistent.
The weekend tackles these inequities from both sides:
Friday: Understanding and fixing the systems
Saturday: Delivering resources and prevention to the neighborhoods that need them most
This is how you move health equity from discussion to action.
Two-Day Experience: A connected weekend that blends education, prevention, community resources, and culturally grounded support.
For Professionals and Communities: Friday gathers healthcare, research, and public-health leaders. Saturday brings prevention, screenings, and wellness tools directly to families.
Prevention and Early Support: Free screenings, wellness education, movement activities, and navigation resources that help families get ahead of chronic illness.
Culturally Responsive Care: Programming shaped by the lived experiences and needs of BIPOC communities facing autoimmune and chronic illness disparities.
Trusted Community Space: Local organizations, clinicians, and wellness leaders come together in one place to make care accessible, welcoming, and easy to understand.
Designed for Real Impact: Every session, booth, and activity supports our goal of improving access, strengthening trust, and reducing health inequities.
at a Glance
ROCK Wellness Weekend
The weekend blends education, prevention, and hands-on support, and these highlights show what that looks like in practice.
Advancing Equity in Autoimmune and Chronic Illness Care
Two Days, One Purpose:
rock wellness weekend
A working day for healthcare, research, public health, and advocacy leaders.
Panels, keynotes, and collaborative sessions focused on chronic illness, autoimmune disparities, mental health, and policy.
THE ROCK SUMMIT
ROCK THE BLOCK EXPO
Friday, February 20th
learn more about
A fun-filled community health and resource event bringing screenings, movement, nutrition, wellness education, and family programming directly the community.
Saturday, February 21st
Public health and nonprofit systems are stretched thin. Collaboration reduces duplication, maximizes limited resources, and provides communities with more coordinated, consistent support.
Support in a Challenging Health Landscape
Trust grows when residents see multiple credible groups standing together. A united presence signals reliability and shared commitment to community wellbeing.
Building Trust Through Collective Presence
Some households never see newsletters, campaigns, or social media content. Being physically present ensures they still receive accurate information and culturally safe support.
Reaching Families Missed by Standard Outreach
When multiple organizations are present together, residents ask more questions, explore more resources, and feel more comfortable seeking help. Engagement becomes deeper and more personal.
Meaningful, Real-Time Engagement
Many families living with chronic illness never make it into clinics or online spaces. Joint community events offer direct access and help close gaps that digital or clinic-based outreach cannot reach.
Stronger Connection With Residents
Collaborating increases your organization’s presence in underserved communities. Meeting residents where they are builds recognition and awareness, especially for people who rarely interact with traditional outreach.
Greater Community Visibility
Community health challenges are too big for any organization to address alone. When nonprofits, clinics, public health teams, and community groups show up together, residents get clearer information, stronger support, and better access to resources. These six points explain why collaboration strengthens Rock Wellness Weekend and why showing up alongside other organizations makes a real difference.
A Unified Approach to Health Equity
Collaboration and Community
NEXT
PREV
Be seen by the communities you aim to reach
Your presence places your organization in front of residents, families, and public health stakeholders who often have limited access to chronic-illness resources. It helps people recognize your services and understand how you support community wellness.
Strengthen ties across neighborhoods and organizations
The weekend gathers families, local groups, health educators, and community leaders in one accessible space. It creates natural moments for conversation, resource exchange, and relationship-building without requiring ongoing commitments.
Take part in meaningful, in-person interaction
Supporters can share tools, answer questions, demonstrate services, and have real conversations with people navigating chronic illness challenges. This level of engagement builds understanding on both sides and helps shape more responsive outreach.
Show communities that your commitment is real
Trust grows when organizations consistently show up in places where care and information are hardest to access. Supporting the weekend demonstrates that you value equitable health access and are invested in being part of the solution, not just observing from a distance.
Your support fuels preventive care access in neighborhoods that face the greatest barriers to health. Sponsorship and vendor participation increase the reach of evidence informed education, wellness navigation, and community-centered services, while also strengthening cross-sector collaboration that improves health outcomes.
That kind of engagement carries meaningful value for the community and for the organizations committed to serving it.
SPONSORSHIP & VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES
jamie nicole
"chronic illness does not discriminate, yet access to proper care often does. Promoting health equity means ensuring that every individual, regardless of background, has the resources and support needed to effectively manage autoimmune conditions."
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The Summit is focused on education, collaboration, and health equity conversations for professionals. The Expo is a free community event with screenings, movement, resources, and wellness activities for residents.
What is the difference between the Summit and the Expo?
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Clinicians, researchers, students, public health teams, nonprofit leaders, policy advocates, and partner organizations.
Who should attend the Summit?
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Check in at the registration table first. If you pre-registered, you’ll move through check-in quicker. If not, you can register onsite. Every attendee receives a passport bingo card to take to vendor tables. Vendors will mark each stop, and completed cards can be returned for prize drawings.
What happens when I arrive at the Expo?
Anything else you’d like to learn more about? Get in touch with our team and we’d be happy to answer your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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