Dr. Oz to launch community walk at Merinos in Mooresville

Dr. Mehmet Oz

A Mooresville business is the launchpad for a series of events this week in which Dr. Mehmet Oz will throw his support behind free health clinics in the Carolinas.

On Thursday, Oz, who hosts "The Dr. Oz Show" on ABC-TV, will launch a community walk from Merinos Home Furnishings at 500 South Main St., the once-abandoned textile mill that served as the bedrock of the community.

The walk is part of Harmony in Health, a fundraising event hosted by Mooresville's HealthReach Community Clinic and Walgreens.

During the kickoff, Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins will present Oz with a NASCAR jacket. Participants will walk a mile to the Charles Mack Citizen Center and an optional second mile back to Merinos.

Michal Bay, who owns Merinos, said he's not hoping the walk and subsequent exposure will be a boon to his business.

"I think when you're doing something, you do it because you want to do it, not because you want to benefit out of it," Bay said. "We're doing it without expecting anything whatsoever."

Organizers chose Merinos as the spot to start the walk because of its size, Bay said, adding that he often allows the community to use space at the retrofitted mill. He jumped at the chance to host Oz at his store.

The fact they're both Turkish, he said, is just mere coincidence. Bay was born in Turkey, then moved to London, England and then returned to Turkey before he moved to the U.S. and started selling furniture.

The Turkish-American Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

Michal Bay

"I personally love Dr. Oz," Bay said. "I only know him through the press. I never met him. I don't know him. I love the way he explains medical (things) to everybody."

The walk starts at 10 a.m. in Merinos' parking lot on College and Church streets. Thursday's walk is just one part in a series of daylong activities for Oz that will include a health fair, black-tie dinner and an event at Mooresville High School.