When a COVID-19 vaccination clinic was backed up, a Chick-Fil-A official stepped in to save the day

A drive-thru coronavirus vaccination clinic at a church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was backed up on January 22, leaving people waiting a long time – up to hours. This clinic was the first COVID-19 vaccination site in the region, but soon after it started accepting patients, the computer system supporting registrations dumped, causing a big traffic jam.

And so Will Haynie, the mayor of Mount Pleasant decided to call the big gun: Jerry Walkowiak, manager of the local Chick-fil-A, who knows a thing or two about how to run a drive-thru. Walkowiak stepped in and, like a goddamn champ, saved the day.

“I called Jerry and asked if he could come help us,” Haynie told CNN. “After examining it, he said, ‘Here is your problem there. It’s saved because you have one person who is saving people. Then he showed us how to do it right. All it took was a few more volunteers and Walkowiak’s arguments, and the clusterfuck was turned into a seamless operation. The wait went from a few hours to just 15 minutes. It’s the smell of sweet success and vaccination. Walkowiak should probably have a theme song as he walks through any door.

When patients return for their follow-up injections on February 12, Walkowiak will be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.

“Jerry got a phone call and gave it all up because he knows the release of this vaccine is a game changer,” Haynie told News2 Charleston. “This is what the light looks like at the end of the long Covid tunnel.”