TOLEDO, Ohio — There were several fights in south Toledo on Friday night aimed to bring us closer to the end of the COVID pandemic.
In one corner of the Believe Center in South Toledo, two young fighters prepared to square as part of a series of Golden Gloves boxing matches that pitted boxers from Ohio against boxers from Michigan.
In the other corner, there was a different fight - one that was aimed to vaccinate as many people as possible in the area.
"We are targeting the Black and Brown community to come on out to get the vaccination. said Sabina Serratos, the Executive Director for Adelante, The Latino Resource Center, which put on the vaccine drive.
Serratos says the boxing event was the perfect place for a vaccination drive, with so many people attending on the day after Thanksgiving.
Claudia Torrez, brought her daughter, Nayeli Torrez to the event to be vaccinated.
"She just turned 12, October 28th so I couldn't get her in beforehand. And I contacted her doctor to get her in and they couldn't get her in until December, the middle of December. So I figured this will be a great opportunity," said Torrez.
Nayeli is a dancer here and she got her first vaccine, while her mother got her booster.
The Chief Medical Officer with Paramount Insurance says it's still the best way to protect yourself, even with new variants.
"As you heard this morning, there was a new variant that's been identified coming from Africa. And it's still very early," said Dr. Dee Bialecki-Haase. "So you know, this is the time where scientists will be studying the variant. And looking at the variant's susceptibility to vaccine."
The clinic was able to give out more than 70-vaccines, as fans cheered on the young fighters taking place in the Border Wars
Serratos was proud of the Toledo-area residents who are doing their part in the fight against COVID.
"At the end of the day, we are protecting ourselves, but we're also protecting our loved ones. And those that are around us. And so, in order for us to reach that herd immunity, everybody has to be in it together," said Serratos.
Adelante says it's planning to host more vaccine clinics like this one.
But in the meantime, it recommends you take a look at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department's vaccine schedule.
Or you can reach out to any of your community resource centers such as Adelante.