Lands' End announced it is partnering with the Iowa County Health Department to transform the Comer Center, a fitness and recreation facility at its Dodgeville, Wisconsin, headquarters, into a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. The facility will initially provide the capacity to vaccinate 160 people over a four-hour period and will eventually be able to accommodate up to 1600 people over eight hours, making it the largest vaccination center in Iowa County. The Iowa County Health Department will begin administering vaccines at the Comer Center on Monday, February 8 and will continue for the foreseeable future.

While Iowa County is currently only receiving a limited number of vaccine doses, Lands' End's 91,500-square-foot Comer Center will allow the Iowa County Health Department to significantly increase the amount of people who can be immunized over the course of a day, as vaccine supply increases.

Home to state-of-the-art fitness facilities and sports equipment, the Comer Center was donated by Lands' End founder and lifelong philanthropist Gary Comer in 1989 as a place for the company's employees and retirees, and their families, to stay active and take a proactive role in pursuing a healthy lifestyle. However, with many employees now working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lands' End saw an opportunity to support the local community and give back.

"We are honored to partner with the Iowa County Health Department to take an active role in bettering the health and safety of our local Dodgeville and Iowa County communities," said Jerome Griffith, chief executive officer, Lands' End. "The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical step toward supporting Wisconsin's vibrant culture and business community, and we are grateful to be able to utilize Lands' End's facilities to help fight the pandemic." 

"Iowa County is incredibly grateful for this partnership.  This space allows for a much larger number of people who can be immunized, helping us get to our goal of achieving robust vaccine uptake.  The use of this space will have a direct and favorable impact to the health of Iowa County residents.  In a word, it is extraordinary and once again, we cannot convey how appreciative we are," said Debbie Siegenthaler, Director/Health Officer, Iowa County Health Department.

Vaccines at the Comer Center will be administered by the Iowa County Health Department with the support of Iowa County Emergency Management and numerous community volunteers. The vaccine will be available to people who live and work in Iowa County who meet the criteria for phase 1A or are over the age of 65, subject to vaccine availability.