Responding to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the metro Atlanta area, oAK Atlanta nightclub partnered with HEALing Community Center and Anheuser-Busch to provide free COVID-19 testing for residents. Korey Felder, Owner, and Partner in the night club curated the testing event with co-owner Lerrick McCorvey, HEALing Community Center Director Koutney Dubois, and Event-Chair Aaron Mattison. The event provided easily accessible testing with an average wait time of less than 10 minutes. Throughout the course of the event, over 180 metro Atlanta residents were tested.

“COVID-19 has continued to impact our communities tremendously,” said Korey Felder. “Our industry and business thrive off our love for people. As cases continue to rise in the Atlanta area, we wanted to do our part by providing a safe and easy way to get tested. Thank you to all our partners for assisting with this effort. I am proud of the work we are doing and will continue to do for the people of Atlanta.”

For the curators of this event, providing an extra avenue for testing was necessary. oAK Atlanta’s testing event was inspired by the countless testimonies from Atlanta residents spending 4-5 hours in line for free testing and turnaround times for test results of up to two weeks. 

The testing event aimed to reach underserved communities in the Atlanta area and help stop the spread of COVID-19 with awareness and education. Recent data shows the virus is impacting communities of color at disproportionate rates. The oAK Atlanta testing site saw great diversity with an emphasis on younger Atlantans coming out to get tested.

The oAK Atlanta team plans to hold another testing event during the month of August to continue to provide an opportunity for residents to check their status.

For more information on oAK Atlanta and future oAK Cares testing events follow Korey Felder on instagram @koreywitak.