Mayor Woodfin, Birmingham UNCF postpones UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball due to coronavirus concerns
Birmingham, Alabama (March 12, 2020) – Randall L. Woodfin supports the Birmingham leadership of the United Negro College Fund in postponing the Saturday, March 14 UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, due to public health concerns over the coronavirus. A new date has not been announced yet.
Today, the Jefferson County Department of Health recommended that any gatherings of 500 or more should be cancelled because of the threat of the spread of the coronavirus. More than 1,200 people from 12 states were expected to attend the UNCF gala at the Birmingham Sheraton Hotel on Saturday.
“This was a very hard decision to make, but it was the right decision to make,’’ said Mayor Woodfin. “It was the right decision because we had to make sure that, in our leadership capacity as a city, we put the health of our residents and city employees at the forefront. Out of an abundance of caution, we want to make sure that the City of Birmingham is doing everything possible to protect its citizens.’’
Casi Ferguson, area development director for UNCF Birmingham, agrees. “I want to thank the mayor for his commitment to UNCF. I also appreciate his leadership in this time as the city addresses concerns connected to the coronavirus,’’ Ferguson said. “We join him in urging the public to listen to the advice of health officials and to be safe.’’
The postponement of Saturday’s ball is the latest of several large events that have been cancelled or postponed in Birmingham for the week and leading into the weekend.
Updates from the City of Birmingham can be found at www.birminghamal.gov/coronavirus.
