LANSING, Mich. — Two Michigan organizations are teaming up to send hospitality workers home with a vaccine and an extra gift.
Kris Ash says he was on the fence about getting his vaccine but when he heard about the clinic, he decided to come to get his first dose.
“It’s a great incentive. It’s free money,” Ash said.
The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA) and the Protect Michigan Commission partnered to bring VISA gift cards to the first 400 recipients of a COVID-19 vaccine at their pop-up clinic in Old Town Thursday.
“Yeah, I think people respond to incentives. We tried to do a lot of these in fun, downtown areas where people can come down, get their vaccine and put those gift cards to use immediately,” MRLA President Justin Winslow said.
The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau also threw in a few Lansing-themed gifts for some lucky vaccine recipients.
“We just got the word out so they hopefully can come out, take advantage of this opportunity and keep our industry moving forward with the vaccination process,” Bureau President Julie Pingston said.
The organizations are working to bring incentive-based vaccine clinics like this one to hospitality workers as they get ready to work without pandemic restrictions.
“We now have a clear set of guidelines, a clear date by which this industry can return to operating at a hundred percent. It’s important in the meantime that we get as many of those hospitality workers vaccinated as possible,” Winslow said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined a return to normal that could remove all pandemic restrictions by July 1.
“We’re really feeling that lifting and that optimism as we’re going forward,” Pingston said.
Vaccine clinics like this one in the heart of old town are just getting started. The Protect Michigan Commission will be offering vaccine incentives in Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City next.
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