SCC Spirit Brings Citizens, Businesses Together To Crush COVID

Santa Cruz CA

17 May, 2021

8:35 PM

Description

Press release from Crush Covid: May 17, 2021 [Santa Cruz County May 8, 2021] – To support our community's efforts to reach herdimmunity, a team of volunteers placed seven double-sided displays in strategic locationsthroughout Santa Cruz County to remind people vaccinations are the safest, simplest wayto return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as "The Monoliths,"the signs establish an objective of achieving of reaching 80-85percent of vaccinated Santa Cruz County residents. Installed by CRUSH COVID, a local groupof volunteers supporting community immunity from COVID-19, the Monoliths have a dynamicpresentation that will indicate the continually increasing percentage of vaccinated countyresidents. Currently, the posters reflect that 41 percent of county residents have been fully vaccinated, orapproximately halfway to our community goal. Volunteers will update the Monoliths as weprogress toward our shared goal. The Monoliths are located at prominent locations throughout Santa Cruz County, withcompanion posters placed inside Bookshop Santa Cruz and the Rittenhouse Building window.The intent of the endeavor is to give a support local government agencies and healthcareprofessionals in the battle to reduce the spread and even eradicate COVID-19, similar to pastpublic health efforts against polio, smallpox and whooping cough. Speaking in January, President Biden stressed that we can't heal our wounded democracy untilwe defeat COVID. Heeding the call, a group of local individuals who had met through theWomen's March and Santa Cruz Indivisible formed a team called CRUSH COVID.Since January, CRUSH COVID has: • Mailed over 1,000 postcards to national and state elected officials urging increasedproduction and widespread distribution of vaccines. • Volunteered at events and clinics aimed at getting farmworkers and other at-risk peoplevaccinated. • Displayed large banners on overpasses above Highway 1 urging residents to getvaccinated. • Placed hundreds of rocks painted with CRUSH COVID slogans around the County. In April, as vaccines arrived and community immunity became an achievable goal, the CRUSHCOVID team reached out to friends and neighbors to ask for financial support to design, print,build and distribute these Monoliths. Local graphic artist Amanda Harris Altice created anddonated the design for the poster art. Community Printers stepped in to help with design andprovide high-quality printing. They also donated financially to the project. The generous supportof local businesses and other groups is intrinsic to the success of the project, including BookshopSanta Cruz, Downtown Association of Santa Cruz and the Downtown Ambassador Program,Google/Looker, Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, UC Santa Cruz, Watsonville Library, andthe Watsonville Post Office. The CRUSH COVID team considers our public health department officials, especially DirectorMimi Hall and Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel, to be heroes because of their stalwart andunflagging dedication to public service and our community's well-being. Our public healthofficials have done a fantastic job of community organizing while lobbying state and nationalagencies to ensure Santa Cruz County has its fair share of vaccines and tests to distribute thoseresources equitably across all socioeconomic groups. Santa Cruz County is a place where residents care about each other and express it daily in manyways. Local government is seen as important, elected officials are available to constituents andprivate businesses contribute in meaningful ways to the fabric of the community. Earthquakes,fires, and traffic are more likely to inspire people to reach out for solutions rather than stokeanger and violence. The Crush Covid team's Monoliths are simply a product of our community's ideals.Crush Covid Team Members: Amanda Altice, Caroline Bliss-Isberg, Peggy Burgess, KathyCytron Jenny Evans, Emma Forbes, Karen Gallant, Dr. Susan Hughmanick, MarilynHumphrey,A ngela Marshall, Barbara Meyer, Chris Stacey, and Chris Tucker, with help fromKen Reichman, Ken Koenig, and the members of ARRT. This press release was produced by Crush Covid. The views expressed here are the author's own.