VCU basketball. Being on campus. Going to games and cheering on the Rams. Those are some of the things Rhoades has missed most during the pandemic.

“Getting everyone together is what we do, and when that was taken away from us, there was a void,” he said. “It was great being with the players and coaches this season, but it was an empty Siegel Center. It wasn’t the same.

“It’s still months away, but the vaccines get the Rams closer to the return of 7,637 fans in seats once again. And when that happens, I can't wait to see our players’ faces, their excitement and how fired up they will be to run out of the tunnel to Ram Nation. There’s nothing like it.”

Getting the shot means not only a return to favorite activities but the people you love, Rhoades said.

“It’s not about you. It’s about everybody around you,” he said. “It's about that older mother or older grandmother or great-grandfather you have. It's about going into school, or going to church every Sunday knowing the person in front of you or behind you is safe because of you.

“I believe that if you take care of those around you, things will come back to you tenfold. We all need to do our part.”

To get vaccinated, go to vaccinate.virginia.gov. To read more stories like this, visit vcuhealth.org/thisshotmatters.