The Thunderbirds continue to be active in the community and routinely donate money to many community-based organizations that improve the quality of life for Arizonans in need.  In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Thunderbirds have stepped up more than just offering financial assistance by visiting charities in need that require in person assistance as they strive to be active in the community by donating their time.

Over the first weekend in May, The Thunderbirds made their 9th in-person visit (since the pandemic hit) to help a local charity and were on hand at Ability 360 to help give COVID-19 vaccination second shots (Pfizer) to Special Olympics Arizona athletes and other persons with disabilities, caregivers and family members in greater Phoenix.

The Thunderbirds worked in various shifts during the weekend as “vaccine assistants” along with Ability 360 staff during this “Disability Community Vaccination Event”.  Those duties included greeting and check-in, patient registration, assisting patients to nurse stations, sitting with patients after vaccine is given, traffic flow within the venue, and updating vaccine cards.

The Thunderbirds have partnered closely with Special Olympics Arizona for years, and typically host the Special Olympics Putting Challenge during Waste Management Phoenix Open week, which was unfortunately canceled in 2021 due to health considerations.  They chose this date specifically to help Special Olympics Arizona and to just interact and engage with the athletes and others getting their second shot.

Thank you to Ability 360 for hosting this event and for helping Special Olympics Athletes and others with disabilities to get their second vaccine shot.