Governors State Partners with Walgreens to Vaccinate Educators, Others
Contact:
Zion Banks
Governors State University
630-842-6427
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
University Park, Ill. – In a perfect spring kickoff, Walgreen Co. launched a pop-up COVD-19 clinic at Governors State University to vaccinate nearly 1,500 people, many from the Illinois Association of School Administrators’ South Cook County district.
Basking in long awaited sunshine, a host of volunteers from Governors State and Markham’s Prairie-Hills School District 144 ensured a seamless process inside the university’s gymnasium.
The clinic represented the largest gathering on campus in more than a year since classes were moved off campus in March 2020 when COVID-19 first disrupted life across the world.
President Cheryl Green said hosting the clinic on campus was an act of service to the community, where many of the university’s students train and graduates work.
“GSU was proud to open our campus to the surrounding area to ensure that K-12 teachers received vaccinations. Many of the schools that participated host our College of Education students as student-teachers and are located in communities disproportionately impacted by the virus.”
Dr. Kimako Patterson, President of IASA-South Cook and Superintendent of Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144, said the opportunity to partner with Walgreens and Governors State to provide the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine was an honor and a privilege.
“Our purpose as leaders is to serve our students, families, boards of education, and communities. There is no greater moment than right now!”
Walgreen’s Donovan Pepper said the pharmacy giant was grateful for the collaboration of all partners to provide the vaccination to educators and others in the CDC priority group.
“We certainly could not have done this without GSU, Prairie Hills School District and IASA-South Cook’s leadership,’’ said Pepper, Senior Director, Government Relations & Civic Engagement.