A message from FAS Director Calvin W. Goings on Milestones at the Community Vaccination Site at Lumen Field

Published April 26, 2021

View the Milestones Report Here

Dear FAS Colleagues,

It was just a little over a month ago that our department, working with partners at Swedish and First and Goal, Inc., and colleagues from across eight departments and the Mayor’s Office, stood up the largest, civilian-led mass vaccination site in the country.

The Community Vaccination Site at Lumen Field Event Center is capable of, at capacity, providing up to 22,000 vaccinations a day. The launch of this site represents the single largest mobilization of City resources in a generation and, to do it, FAS worked around-the-clock in just six weeks to convert a 190,000-square-foot event center, typically reserved for boat shows or concerts, into a mass vaccination site. We ordered more than 15,000 individual items—everything from signage and tables to computer tablets and large refrigerators to store vaccine—and now manage hundreds of volunteers and dozens of onsite staff.

The number we care most about though is this one: already, we have provided almost 60,000 potentially life-saving vaccines to our residents. And that’s just the beginning! We have thousands of appointments available this week and I encourage you, your family and friends to sign up today if you haven’t already.

Hitting this milestone is something we can and ought to be proud of; that’s why I wanted to share with you some of the impact of your work in this newsletter. I am tremendously proud of this department, and every one of you. A number of this size can obscure the individual impact of our work. It’s something I’m reminded of every time I’m at the site, working on the floor and interacting with residents who see our vaccination site as not only providing a shot—but hope.

You’re giving hope to residents like Tina and Tracy, pictured at right, two sisters who were separated during the pandemic because of health issues but were finally able to reunite at Lumen, arm-in-arm, for their vaccines.

You’re giving hope to Aogera, a resident who can’t wait to finally hold and walk with her young grandson without fear of catching or spreading the virus.

And you’re giving hope to residents like Bob, a cancer survivor who was hospitalized for COVID earlier this year and, after getting his vaccine, said he’s ready to get strong so he can finally play golf again.

These are real people who, without even knowing it, have depended on you and are thankful for your work. I am, too. I know you’re all busy and have been stretched thin the past year as we have helped lead the City’s COVID-19 response.

Even so, I hope you’ll take a moment to pause, reflect and read about the incredible impact your work is having on our City. And, if you haven’t yet, please schedule your vaccine appointment today! Thank you for all you do.

Calvin

View the Milestones Report here.