An event giving away free COVID-19 tests and a Kroger gift card descended into chaos when a huge crowd lined up to take advantage of the offering.
“It’s been a mess out here, almost fighting and everything,” said Florene Williams, who arrived at the Memphis event at 3:30 a.m. Saturday hoping to be at the front of the line.
Aside from the near fight, one car attempting to make its way to the event ended up in a ditch.
Even though Williams showed up six hours before the scheduled start time, she said she wasn’t first in line. The number of people interested in the test and gift card was part of the problem, she added. Workers were even having a hard time getting to the church the offering was hosted at when they arrived shortly before it began.
“This is not the way you go about doing it. If everybody got in line, like we’re supposed to, and came early, then you would be at the front of the line,” Williams said.
The event was hosted by the Shelby County Health Department and Shelby County Division of Community Services in Tennessee. Organizers said they expected large crowds but didn’t anticipate it turning out so poorly.
“We see people getting out of their cars, and what do we do? We follow suit and try to make a line,” said Kelly Sealey with the Shelby County Health Department. “We had to make sure people stayed in their cars because we are not servicing people who are in line.”
With 150 gift cards and 150 tests, many people had to be turned away when organizers ran out of the items. The gift cards, which were worth $125, were meant to offset the cost of having to stay home in quarantine while awaiting test results.
Williams wasn’t happy about the way the event turned out but said she was happy that officials were even making the offer.
“I’m out here because I need help. I don’t get any food stamps. I don’t get any assistance. I get my pension, and I get social security,” Williams said.
Despite the way the event turned out, organizers say gift cards and tests will be handed out the next two Saturdays in October. The sites of those two events have yet to be announced, but organizers said they hope lessons learned Saturday will help make the next two giveaways go smoother.
