Sarnia's petrochemical industry has donated $60,000 for the roll-out of a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Point Edward Arena.
Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER), the Industrial Educational Cooperative (IEC), Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association (SLEA), Bruce Power, and Enbridge all made contributions. Individual companies also helped out.
The clinic became operational as of Monday and is currently geared to the 75-plus age group along with one caregiver residing in the same household.
It uses the "hockey hub" model, opening up 60 pods at once to enable a high volume of shots. Patients will stay in the same space throughout, and the person administering the vaccine moves from pod to pod.
CAER, IEC, and SLEA General Manager Vince Gagner said many of their members have been impacted by COVID in one way or another.
"It represents workers, it represents contractors, it represents our plant employees, and our community," said Gagner. "If there's an issue that's going on across Sarnia-Lambton, it definitely impacts our members as well. It's just a natural extension of the associations to be involved with this."
Lambton Public Health is still working to vaccinate the older age groups, and will open it up further in the future depending on local vaccine supply.
Enbridge also contributed up to $75,000 to support the future establishment of a second high-volume vaccination hub at Sarnia's Clearwater Arena. The "hockey hub" concept is also being considered for clinics at The Shores Recreation Centre in Forest and at the Wyoming Fairgrounds.
CAER, IEC, and SLEA gave $40,000 toward the COVID field hospital that was set up last year at Lambton College.