MANSFIELD — For Judson Laipply, the most frequently asked question — what is the meaning of life — is a wrongly framed question.

Laipply, a motivational speaker and comedian from Bucyrus, suggests the question should be, what is the meaning to life?

“To ask what is the meaning of life means there is one singular meaning,” Laipply said to an audience gathered at the Renaissance Theater for the 2016 Healthy Living Festival. “I should be able to pick it up and say, ‘Here you go, that’s the meaning of life.”

As if to wrap up the entire Healthy Living Festival’s message into one word, Laipply suggested the meaning to life is to “grow.”

The ‘grow’ theme sprouted throughout the halls of the Renaissance Theater as community members meandered and learned about different initiatives all aimed at ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

It wasn’t all about exercise and eating whole, organic food.

Nathan Gross, founder and CEO of Mansfield Makerspace believes his idea will help grow the community, as well as help grow individual skill and creativity.

The idea is to rent out a space “for the tinkerer, the crafter, the builder … for those who’d rather build with their time.” Gross is working to secure space within the Braintree building in downtown Mansfield. Eventually, he hopes to offer larger tools for those interested in machine works and other industrial projects.

“We’re going to start with wood working (tools),” Gross said. “As we grow and the interest grows around the area, we’ll start branching out to different areas of interest.”

On down the hall was a more conventional healthy living option: the Mid-Ohio 13er, a half marathon aimed at raising funds for drug prevention programs in Mid-Ohio.

The marathon’s principal organizer Tim Hilterman noticed a trend in the community.

“There’s momentum in the community for caring about making a difference and an appetite for healthy fun,” he said.

That momentum is expected to attract a crowd double in size to September’s next Spherion 13er.

The race garnered $25,000 which was then donated to the Richland County Foundation and dispersed to different programs dealing with drug issues in the area.

OhioHealth’s Jill Fulk spoke to a gathered crowd on the Renaissance’s stage about the benefits of eating whole foods. She went a step further by offering simple recipes that included sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, salmon and other fruits and vegetables.

Much of the food Fulk listed can be grown in a garden, which is a focus for NECIC.

“We have 31 community gardens in Richland County,” Teaching Garden Coordinator Candace Harrell said.

Part of Harrell’s job is to organize and host garden teaching classes for people interested in starting their own gardens. NECIC has helped plant 21 of the 31 gardens in Mansfield.

Other speakers included Natalie Hershberger, a 12-year-old, five-time national Olympic Taekwondo champion, Mind Body Align founder Annamarie Fernyak, Jean Taddie and Rochelle Jones from NECIC, Nurse Navigator at Avita Health System Melody Phillips, Carrie Aquino with Booty Barre and Mansfield YMCA’s Kassie Chiles for a Zumba demonstration.

Laipply was the festival’s keynote speaker.

Mansfield’s Healthy Living Festival’s mission is to offer constructive conversation around health and wellness in Richland County on an annual basis. For more information, visit the website.