Wausau Juneteenth Celebration will feature free COVID-19 vaccination clinic

H2N to provide vaccination clinic at Wausau’s first Juneteenth Celebration

The Hmong and Hispanic Communication Network (H2N) is partnering with Wausau’s Juneteenth Celebration to provide a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic. The Juneteenth event will take place June 19, 2021, at the Whitewater Music Hall from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The free vaccine clinic will be open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is open to ages 12 and older. Individuals under 18 need a parent present. Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines will be administered by the National Guard. ID and insurance are not required.

The first 20 vaccine recipients will receive $20 in Target gift cards. Johnson & Johnson recipients will receive the full gift card at the event, while Pfizer recipients will receive $10 gift cards after their first and second doses. A selfie station and drawing for a $50 Target gift card will be available to those who have already been vaccinated.

“There are reservations among minority communities about receiving the COVID vaccine and understandably so. Their apprehension and fear are valid as there have been numerous instances where Black and brown people have been victims of our medical system,” said event organizer Kayley McColley. “This vaccine is life-saving and benefits our entire community. If the Juneteenth event encourages others to get vaccinated and makes it more accessible, especially for our minority community members, that is great. We want to do our part to ensure they are protected.”

The Juneteenth event will be Wausau’s first celebration of the June 19 holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The event will feature an open mic from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

H2N is a collaborative project of WIPPS, the Medical College of Wisconsin – Central Wisconsin, the Wausau Free Clinic, Asociación Hispana-Americana and the Hmong American Center. The project was developed in 2020 to provide communities of color with resources and tools to better withstand the COVID-19 pandemic.

To learn more, visit the Facebook event page or email Kayley McColley at kayleymccolley3500@gmail.com.