The Park City Rotary Club gathered at Rotary Park again Tuesday for a special recognition ceremony, one week after its annual Citizen of the Year awards. This time, the club honored the men and women who made Summit County one of the most vaccinated counties in the country.
The club created Community Appreciation awards recognizing Gary and Debbie Crandall of the Utah Film Studios, a host of Summit County Health Department leaders including Derek Moss and Chris Crowley, and the hundreds of volunteers who contributed to the vaccination campaign.
Rotarian Bob Richer, who emceed the ceremony, said he is fond of the phrase, “Good things don’t just happen. It takes a lot of hard work.” The mass vaccination effort in Summit County, he said, took a lot of hard work from a lot of people.
First among those who were recognized were the Crandalls, who opened up the Utah Film Studios for use as a vaccination clinic. County Manager Tom Fisher said that gesture was invaluable.
“We were looking at a lot of places and methods that were going to cost a lot of money, and they were not ideal,” Fisher said. “Lo and behold, just as we were about to spend that money, the Crandalls stepped forward and it was exactly what the community needed.”
Fisher said Summit County was the only county in Utah that did not need to ask the state for money for its vaccination effort, and the efficiency of it was largely thanks to having access to the studio space for free. He pointed to the county’s current vaccination rate — 90% of eligible residents have received at least one dose, while nearly 80% have received two, compared with statewide totals of 69% and 60%, respectively — as evidence of just how smoothly the clinic operated.
“I’ve gotten to know Gary and Debbie before, they have always been community minded and boy did they step up in this case,” he said.
Debbie Crandall was unable to attend the ceremony, but Gary said on their behalf that it was their honor to help.
“We love living in this community,” he said. “There are so many different ways to give. Volunteers made all this possible. We were just a small part of it.”
Summit County Health Department’s Nursing Director Derek Moss and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Chris Crowley were next to be recognized. County Attorney Margaret Olson said the level of organization at the clinic was “something to behold” and the vibe was special.
“It was a joyful experience and a lot of the credit for that goes to Chris and Derek,” she said. “They were setting the tone and they were happy to be there every single day.”
Rich Bullough, who retired as the county’s health director this month, said he was amazed by Moss’ attitude, as he always seemed to be enjoying the process. Moss joined the Health Department after working previously at the Summit County Jail.
“We were worn out when Derek came on, and having his energy was really helpful,” Bullough said.
Crowley, Bullough said, told him he would plan the vaccination clinic like he would an event — that’s what it became.
“It was energized and enthusiastic, everyone had smiles on their faces,” Bullough said. “It continually blew me away.”
Moss said it really was a fun experience for him.
“Because of the volunteers who showed up every morning,” he said. “We had a great time. Part of it was the people and part was our cause. I’m glad we were able to help.”
Crowley said it was his pleasure to be a part of the vaccination effort, and he thanked the county’s partners like People’s Health Clinic, Intermountain Healthcare and “the countless others who chipped in” for their hard work.
“The true (testament) of our community was when we saw all those volunteers come out of the woodwork,” he said. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
The Rotary Club also recognized Bullough’s replacement as public health director, Phil Bondurant, and new Deputy Health Director Shelley Worley, both of whom played important roles in the county’s vaccination campaign. The club also acknowledged the work of former public health employee Katie Mullaly, who came back on a project basis.
Bondurant said he was grateful for the recognition and excited to be a part of defining what public health in Summit County looks like post-COVID. Speaking of Worley and Mullaly, he said he was continually impressed by their dedication.
“Shelley was slated to start her master’s program but she put that on hold to serve the community,” he said. “And Katie, she always had her head down, always doing what needed to be done and she always had time to offer a hug. I think it speaks volumes for the people who were running the show.”
Each of those honored individually took time to thank the volunteer force that kept the clinic running, and those volunteers were the last to be honored. Bullough said while other counties were paying people to staff their clinics, Summit County had more than 400 volunteers available and another 500 on reserve. Each day at the clinic required 90 volunteers, and in all those 400-plus people contributed about 15,000 hours of their time.
“Our jobs would not have mattered were it not for all the people who came,” Mullaly said. “It was one of the greatest privileges of my life to be a part of this organization.”