PHOENIX — On Saturday, families across the Valley got their COVID-19 vaccine and then ran the bases underneath the bright lights at Chase Field. It was a family-friendly event hoping to draw more people to get the shot.
“We have Baxter stopping by. You get an opportunity to take a family photo in the dugout right after the vaccine," said Debbie Castaldo, with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Before the doors even opened, people like Ronni Vanbuskirk, a life-long Arizona Diamondbacks fan, waited in line in hopes of not missing out on some free tickets to an upcoming game.
“It says first-come, first-serve. That’s why I wanted to be first," she said.
President Joe Biden launched a 'Month of Action' to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates across the country. The goal is to vaccinate 70% of Americans by July 4.
Right now, that number stands at 63%.
In Arizona, about 60,000 people are being vaccinated every week. At that rate, ABC15's data expert found it would take until about October to reach that 70% goal.
RELATED: Can Arizona meet President Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70% of the population?
“We’re trying to educate, we’re trying to let everyone know that these vaccines are safe and effective," said State Health Director Dr. Cara Christ. "There’s a lot of misinformation out there which is why we’re now doing these smaller events where we can talk one on one and encourage them to get vaccinated and address their concerns."
That is why the state is now shifting its strategy from large state-run sites like State Farm Stadium to more community-focused pop-up events.
For more information on the latest COVID-19 vaccination events, click here.
