Illinois Ag Connection - New Sparta Site Offers 100 Free Target Rounds to Vaccine Recipients

Illinois Ag News Headlines

New Sparta Site Offers 100 Free Target Rounds to Vaccine Recipients
Illinois Ag Connection - 05/05/2021

Expanding on existing efforts to administer the COVID-19 vaccine equitably and efficiently across the state, Governor Pritzker Tuesday announced a new mobile vaccination site will open at the Worldwide Shooting and Recreation Complex (WSRC).

Anyone who receives the vaccine at the WSRC mobile site will receive 100 free targets of trap, skeet, or sporting clays for use at the WSRC.

The site will be operated by the Illinois National Guard in coordination with the Randolph County local health department and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14 and 15 for adults 18 and over. Walk-ins are welcome.

In addition to the new mobile site and vaccination incentives, the Governor also announced that the Amateur Trapshooting Association Grand American World Trapshooting Championships, the largest event of its kind in the world, will return to the WSRC, boosting the local economy and providing hundreds of jobs for community residents. The Illinois Department of Natural Resource, the Department of Public Health and the WSRC are in coordination to support a safe and robust event.

"If you come and get vaccinated at the World Shooting Recreational Complex vax site - which is already completely free - you'll get 100 FREE targets of trap, skeet, or sporting clays, to use any time before the end of October," said Governor JB Pritzker. "These vaccines are incredibly effective and protective for the person who gets them, but just as important, they make the whole community safer: that means your grandparents, your elderly neighbors, your friends who might have a weaker immune system. So if you haven't gotten around to it, it's time to vax up Illinois!"

To be eligible to receive the incentive, residents must receive their vaccine at the WSRC mobile site. Access to the free targets can be redeemed upon receipt through October 2021, excluding days of major sporting events, and are valued at $26 to $35 depending on the target of choice.

"The Randolph County Health Department is excited to be a part of this event at the World Recreational and Shooting Complex here in Randolph County to promote the COVID-19 vaccine. We are looking forward to a successful event," said Angela Oathout, Administrator of the Randolph County Local Health Department.

"Vaccination clinics here at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex will help protect more Illinoisans from COVID-19," said Colleen Callahan, Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "What's more, as we continue to see increased visitors at our state parks and historic sites, vaccinations provided here also will help ensure Illinoisans will be able to continue enjoying recreational opportunities like hiking, fishing, biking, and horseback riding - or even better, events like the Grand American right here at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex - well into the future."

"It's very important for our communities to be vigilant with vaccinations, we all most vaccinate for the good of each other. The sooner we vaccinate the sooner we can reopen our communities," said SIMA President and Pinckneyville Mayor Robert Spencer.

"I appreciate the diligence of the men and women of the National Guard and the Pritzker administration for working to provide increased vaccine access to Southern Illinois families," said State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). "By deploying additional resources and man power, we are helping our state and region move forward from this pandemic and we are already witnessing small steps toward a return to normalcy, including the announcement that the Grand American Trapshooting Championships will take place at the Sparta complex."

"I appreciate the effort to maximize getting everyone vaccinated, and I look forward to reaching Phase 5 and returning to pre-COVID normal," said State Rep. David Friess (R- Red Bud).

The WSRC mobile site will offer the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents. To make an appointment to book a vaccine at the mobile site, go to https://events.juvare.com/IL-IDPH/qqvjg-51/.

The vaccination incentives at the WSRC are part of a series of initiatives the State of Illinois is announcing in order to support community health. Last week, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield announced that anyone who has been vaccinated can visit for free in the months of May and June.

To date, more than 5.6 million Illinoisans have received at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and find information on other vaccine locations, go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-location.

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