DARLINGTON, S.C. — On March 5th, you won't be seeing stock cars racing around Darlington Raceway. Instead, McLeod Health will be hosting a mass COVID-19 vaccination site, which is already fully booked.
Emily Adams, Vice President of Patient Services for McLeod Health, says this will be a drive-thru event, and the Moderna vaccine will be going to eligible people in Phases 1a and 1b.
"We have the opportunity to offer five-thousand people COVID vaccine. We love the event for a lot of reasons," said Adams. "We think it's accessible, both from a physical standpoint. It's in the middle of a lot of our communities that we serve. Everybody knows where the racetrack is. It feels familiar."
With the event already full, Adams says they're celebrating the turnout for how many people in the community who want to receive the vaccine.
"We feel really good about what we've pulled together. We know that it's going to be efficient. We know it's going to be convenient. I think patients are going to enjoy it, that's one of our goals as well to make it a fun process," explained Adams.
Darlington Raceway President, Kerry Tharpe, says on Friday people will able to come through Gate 40 off of Hwy. 151. People will come in through the infield tunnel and follow the pathway to the garage stalls where people will receive the vaccine.
"It really gives us an opportunity to open up our racetrack and do something for the community," said Tharpe. "We race here two times a year. We're blessed to be able to do that, but we want to be able to do things the other days of the year, the other weeks of the year, that are for the good of the community. If you're racing to get the vaccine out then what better place to do it than at a racetrack."
People will come back on April 1st for the second dose. Governor McMaster plans to be at the event this Friday to see the largest vaccination event so far in the Pee Dee area.
"We have confidence in the vaccine," said Adams. "We know it's been through the necessary testing and the necessary trials. We just feel like nothing can stop us, like this is really going to happen and we're very excited."
People receiving the vaccine at Darlington Raceway need to make sure they bring their photo ID or driver's license to verify their age and Phase 1a status.