DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — They are two schools roughly 50 miles apart.
For the first time since 2019, those two schools, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A&T State University will meet in the annual Aggie-Eagle Classic football game.
However, this year is different.
“Since the COVID pandemic has hit us, we’ve actually been partnering with them on our vaccination clinics. So, they were one of the first campuses in the [UNC] system to get their vaccination clinic up and running,” explained Dr. Angela Coleman.
Coleman is the Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs at NCCU. She said the months of working together led to an interesting offer from NC A&T.
“So, what do you all think about us having a friendly competition,” Coleman stated.
The competition is to see who can get the most people on campus vaccinated from July 1 until Sept. 17.
The campaign is called ‘Crush COVID’. It ends a week before the Aggie-Eagle Classic.
“So, we are able to have a successful academic year in terms of our instruction, coursework but also we want to have our football games we want to have homecoming,” mentioned Coleman.
Football games and homecoming events would draw thousands of people to campus.
The initiative comes as a recent CDC report shows 34 percent of adults between 18- and 39-years old have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We have distributed to date over 4,200 vaccines on our campus, so students still have that opportunity to get vaccinated. We have doses waiting at N.C. Central and N.C. A&T,” said Coleman.
The winning school will be presented with a trophy at the game. Coleman said there will also be other incentives included if they win.
For more information on the Crush COVID challenge, click here.