Talk about well-deserved recognition.
The Park City Rotary Club on Tuesday honored the people who made Summit County’s mass COVID-19 vaccination effort in the winter and spring possible, bestowing on them “Community Appreciation Awards” during a ceremony at Rotary Park. It was a fitting tribute on behalf of a grateful community and an opportunity to celebrate a spectacular achievement.
Among the honorees were:
• the owners of Utah Film Studios, Gary and Debbie Crandall, who allowed the county to use their property for five months at no cost to administer more than 20,000 vaccines
• Derek Moss, the Summit County Health Department’s nursing director
• Chris Crowley, the county’s public health emergency preparedness coordinator
• Health Director Phil Bondurant, who was the deputy health director for much of the pandemic
• Deputy Health Director Shelley Worley, who previously was the county’s health promotion director
• Katie Mullaly, a former Health Department staffer
• more than 450 volunteers who collectively contributed 15,000 hours at the Utah Film Studios vaccination site
Their efforts were nothing short of heroic, helping Summit County vaccinate a greater portion of its residents than any other county in the state and allowing us to begin to move toward a sense of normalcy. Though the fight against the pandemic continues — largely due to people around the country who have opted against being inoculated — our community would be in much worse shape without their contributions.
It was far from easy. With the supply of vaccines now exceeding the demand, it’s not hard to forget how difficult and frenzied the initial months of the campaign were. The Health Department and volunteers faced vaccine shortfalls, challenges signing up elderly people through the federal government’s online registration system and a long line of residents eager to get their shots as soon as possible.
Their dedication to the cause never wavered. By early spring, as more doses became available, the clinic at the film studios was a well-oiled operation. And in May, the success of the campaign allowed officials to close the site, several weeks before anyone had anticipated when the effort was just beginning.
We join the Rotary club in thanking the honorees and congratulating them for a job well done. Such an undertaking will hopefully never be needed again — but if it is, Summit County residents know their fellow community members, no matter the challenge, will rise to the occasion.