SCC Spirit Brings Citizens, Businesses Together To Crush COVID

Press release from Crush Covid:

May 17, 2021

[Santa Cruz County May 8, 2021] – To support our community’s efforts to reach herd
immunity, a team of volunteers placed seven double-sided displays in strategic locations
throughout Santa Cruz County to remind people vaccinations are the safest, simplest way
to return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known as “The Monoliths,”the signs establish an objective of achieving of reaching 80-85
percent of vaccinated Santa Cruz County residents. Installed by CRUSH COVID, a local group
of volunteers supporting community immunity from COVID-19, the Monoliths have a dynamic
presentation that will indicate the continually increasing percentage of vaccinated county
residents.

Currently, the posters reflect that 41 percent of county residents have been fully vaccinated, or
approximately halfway to our community goal. Volunteers will update the Monoliths as we
progress toward our shared goal.

The Monoliths are located at prominent locations throughout Santa Cruz County, with
companion posters placed inside Bookshop Santa Cruz and the Rittenhouse Building window.
The intent of the endeavor is to give a support local government agencies and healthcare
professionals in the battle to reduce the spread and even eradicate COVID-19, similar to past
public health efforts against polio, smallpox and whooping cough.

Speaking in January, President Biden stressed that we can’t heal our wounded democracy until
we defeat COVID. Heeding the call, a group of local individuals who had met through the
Women’s March and Santa Cruz Indivisible formed a team called CRUSH COVID.
Since January, CRUSH COVID has:

• Mailed over 1,000 postcards to national and state elected officials urging increased
production and widespread distribution of vaccines.

• Volunteered at events and clinics aimed at getting farmworkers and other at-risk people
vaccinated.

• Displayed large banners on overpasses above Highway 1 urging residents to get
vaccinated.

• Placed hundreds of rocks painted with CRUSH COVID slogans around the County.

In April, as vaccines arrived and community immunity became an achievable goal, the CRUSH
COVID team reached out to friends and neighbors to ask for financial support to design, print,
build and distribute these Monoliths. Local graphic artist Amanda Harris Altice created and
donated the design for the poster art. Community Printers stepped in to help with design and
provide high-quality printing. They also donated financially to the project. The generous support
of local businesses and other groups is intrinsic to the success of the project, including Bookshop
Santa Cruz, Downtown Association of Santa Cruz and the Downtown Ambassador Program,
Google/Looker, Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, UC Santa Cruz, Watsonville Library, and
the Watsonville Post Office.

The CRUSH COVID team considers our public health department officials, especially Director
Mimi Hall and Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel, to be heroes because of their stalwart and
unflagging dedication to public service and our community’s well-being. Our public health
officials have done a fantastic job of community organizing while lobbying state and national
agencies to ensure Santa Cruz County has its fair share of vaccines and tests to distribute those
resources equitably across all socioeconomic groups.

Santa Cruz County is a place where residents care about each other and express it daily in many
ways. Local government is seen as important, elected officials are available to constituents and
private businesses contribute in meaningful ways to the fabric of the community. Earthquakes,
fires, and traffic are more likely to inspire people to reach out for solutions rather than stoke
anger and violence.

The Crush Covid team’s Monoliths are simply a product of our community’s ideals.
Crush Covid Team Members: Amanda Altice, Caroline Bliss-Isberg, Peggy Burgess, Kathy
Cytron Jenny Evans, Emma Forbes, Karen Gallant, Dr. Susan Hughmanick, Marilyn
Humphrey,A ngela Marshall, Barbara Meyer, Chris Stacey, and Chris Tucker, with help from
Ken Reichman, Ken Koenig, and the members of ARRT.

This press release was produced by Crush Covid. The views expressed here are the author’s own.