Ginger Schultz has become the newest person to win $1 million from Kentucky’s COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes.
Patricia Short of Lexington won in the first round of drawings.
Governor Andy Beshear presented Schultz, a life-long Louisville resident, with her million-dollar check at a press conference on Friday.
Schultz got her vaccine back in April. For her, getting the shot was about much more than her own safety.
“Like I said, my main thing was for my mom and my husband who have COPD issues. It’s the right thing to do for yourself, for the people you love, the people who you come in contact with,” said Schultz.
Her decision to sign up for the sweepstakes came after thinking about the lottery tickets her husband recently bought and seeing the competition advertised on TV.
“I only registered two days ago. I had no inkling, no thought that I was gonna win, but I thought why not try,” Schultz said.
Five Kentucky youth won full ride scholarships to any of the state’s colleges, universities, technical or trade schools.
“This wonderful opportunity means everything to me; it gives me a chance to finally kickstart my dream of becoming a teacher and attending UK with my big sister,” said Reese Johnson, 17, of Harrodsburg.
Before announcing the winners, Beshear discussed concerns of the delta variant. Leaked information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that this COVID-19 variant is as transmissible as the chickenpox and likely more severe than strains dealt with previously.
Beshear went on to urge school districts to mandate masks as means to keep kids in schools.
“If they just put in universal masking, they wouldn’t need NTI days,” Beshear said, referring to some district requests for additional support for non-traditional instruction.
He also talked about the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission’s lack of mask updates following changes in the CDC guidelines.
“It’s rich that the LRC wouldn’t follow the CDC guidance, since House Bill 1, which they passed, and they’re suing to say it the law says you have to follow the CDC guidance,” said Beshear, “I guess they’ll follow their own bills that they pass when they like them.”
Kentuckians have one more chance to win.
People with at least one dose of the vaccine can sign up for the final drawing on the Shot At A Million website. Adults will be eligible for $1 million, while children 12 to 17 will be able to win a scholarship.
According to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard, more than 2 million Kentuckians have been vaccinated.
