Come Together CK wins ‘prestigious communications award’ for Facebook Live series on COVID-19 vaccines

Come Together CK (CTCK), a 100% volunteer-driven grassroots community group that formed during the pandemic, has won a prestigious communications award from the International Association of Business Communicators, London Chapter.

Come Together CK’s Vaccine Facebook Live series, held throughout 2021, won the Award of Excellence in the Special and Experiential Events category.

Recognized as organizers from CTCK were Randi Bokor Caron, Alysson Storey, Fannie Vavoulis and Brent Wilken.

Presented by IABC London, the Virtuoso Awards are southwestern Ontario’s premier professional awards celebrating excellence in communications and the best in creative strategy and design.

Since the program’s launch in 1995, Virtuoso has revealed local communications, marketing and creative professionals as ‘ones to watch’.

Several CTCK members put their heads together when they realized there was a need for clear and reliable information about the vaccines as the COVID-19 vaccine was introduced across Chatham-Kent in early 2021.

“We knew from our own discussions with family and friends, and online forums, that people had a lot of questions about the vaccines, and often weren’t sure where to turn to get answers,” said Bokor Caron, one of the CTCK Facebook Live organizers, in a media release.

“So we decided what better way to help people get the information they need than from health care professionals in their own community, who they already knew and trusted? So we started reaching out to local health care practitioners across Chatham-Kent to participate, and every single one of them agreed. It was truly a team effort and one that we know made a difference in helping people make the right decisions for themselves and their families.”

These Facebook Live sessions were free and open to all.

Attendees could ask their questions in the comment thread, where a volunteer moderator would share it with the health care professionals to answer live.

Anonymous questions were also welcomed via email.

Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, OB-GYNs, and pediatricians all participated from communities across Chatham-Kent.

“We wanted to provide a safe and non-judgemental space for people to ask any questions they had about the vaccines during these Facebook Live series,” said Dr. Andrew Lanz-O’Brien, of Blenheim, who hosted the first Facebook Live Vaccine Q & A, for the South Kent community.

“Whether it was an OB-GYN answering questions about pregnancy and vaccination, a pediatrician talking about children and youth getting the vaccine, or family doctors from different Chatham-Kent communities addressing concerns from their patients and neighbours, we had so many great questions, and so much positive feedback. Based on the numbers of attendees at every session, it was clear this was a much-needed service. It was great to be able to use this tool to connect with people in the comfort of their own homes, especially during the height of the pandemic.”

A total of 17 Facebook Live sessions were held throughout 2021.

Several sessions, like the maternal health and pregnancy session, were so popular, additional sessions were held to meet the demand.

The sessions were recorded and are still available for viewing on the Come Together Facebook page.

As of this date, these sessions have over 43,000 unique views.

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