KENTUCKY — On this week's edition of In Focus Kentucky, host Mario Anderson is recapping one of the premier political events in all of Kentucky: Fancy Farm 141.
This year’s event was quite different for many reasons, including for the first time, only Republicans appeared on stage and delivered speeches.
Some members of Kentucky's Democratic Party announced they were going to host a counter-event, originally called Fancyville, instead of making the trek down to Graves County in Western Kentucky.
Organizers shifted the gathering’s focus and its name from politics to vaccinations in response to growing COVID-19 numbers. Spectrum News 1's Erin Kelly was there for FancyVaxx and shares details from the event.
Diana Pichardo, a 15-year-old from Louisville, got her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the FancyVaxx event.
"It didn't hurt at all," she said. "I think you should just get it for extra protection."
She was one of 54 people who organizers said got a dose of the vaccine at FancyVaxx.
The two-hour event at the IUE-CWA Local 761 was led by the Louisville Democratic Party and local unions, according to organizers.
Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, said organizers had been planning a different event but shifted the focus because of the rise in COVID-19 cases in Kentucky.
"As we were seeing those numbers just rise, we thought ... we need to pull back and we decided the most important thing that we could do as a group and it was a group of labor unions, the Democratic Party, some concerned citizens, we thought the best thing that we could do for the community was to organize a vaccination site," she said.
Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, went live on Facebook from the event, encouraging others to get the shot.
"This is not just about COVID-19," he told those listening in. "This is about a more insidious, virulent aspect. It’s a variant called delta."
After he logged off, Neal told Spectrum News 1 he was speaking from experience because had already been through COVID-19.
"When I look at Louisville, they talk about the demographic information," he said. "I understand there’s only 20% of African Americans vaccinated ... I’ve been hit by COVID. I know what it will do and almost did to me."
On Friday, Kentucky reported 4,0009 new cases, 12 new deaths and an 11.83% positivity rate, according to state data.
U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, said he worried about the upcoming school year.
"I worry about the young kids who, up to 12, who cannot be vaccinated yet and the more we have this variant circulating through our state, the more vulnerable people like the young kids are going to be."
Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, called the vaccination effort "bigger than politics."
"Keeping yourself and our community safe shouldn’t be a political issue, so we’re here today just to do our part to help keep our businesses open, to help keep our schools open, to help keep our communities safe," he said.