Title
Special recognition of volunteers who have assisted Lake County during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, staff from the Emergency Management Agency, County Administrator’s Office, and all County departments, along with volunteers and partner agencies, including the American Red Cross, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, local municipalities and townships worked together to perform essential services and maintain emergency operations during the duration of the ongoing global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, volunteers assisted the Lake County Emergency Management with the distribution of over 2.7 million pieces of personal protection equipment and COVID-19 health and safety supplies to Lake County entities; and
WHEREAS, on May 3, 2020, Lake County opened one of the first community-based drive-through testing sites in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, in December 2020, the Lake County Health Department received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lake County and conducted its first drive through vaccine clinic at 3010 Grand Avenue in Waukegan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of volunteers from various organizations; including the Lake County Medical Reserve Corps, American Red Cross, Lake County Emergency Management Agency, CERT, Rosalind Franklin University, large corporations such as Abbott, Abbvie, Zebra Technologies, numerous municipalities that included first responders, several partner programs, Lake County residents, and many others all provided thousands of hours of service at mass vaccination clinics; and
WHEREAS, thousands of applications were received by the Lake County Health Department to provide both medical and non-medical volunteer assistance needed at mass vaccination clinics across the County; and
WHEREAS, volunteers have contributed to administering more than 400,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine across all of Lake County; and
WHEREAS, numerous residents and employees sent “thank you” and appreciation messages via email and social media thanking volunteers for a positive and well-run operation at the Lake County Fairgrounds; and
WHEREAS, despite record low temperatures with below zero wind chills at the end of February 2021, individuals still volunteered to direct traffic outside and were flexible in adjusting to changing traffic patterns with little notice at the drive through mass vaccination clinic at the Lake County Fairgrounds; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Mass Vaccination clinics could not operate without the dedication, service, and continued support of all volunteers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOGNIZED, that the Lake County Board first extends its heartfelt sympathies to all those impacted by COVID-19; and
BE IT FURTHER RECOGNIZED, that the Lake County Board does hereby recognize all the volunteers for their diligence and dedication in assisting the residents and communities of Lake County during this global pandemic and gratefully extends its deepest appreciation and gratitude for their individual and collective volunteer efforts.
DATED, at Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois, on May 11, 2021.