Here’s who won $2M in MI Shot to Win COVID-19 vaccine lottery
An Oakland County woman won the $2 million grand prize in the final round of drawings of the MI Shot to Win COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes.
Christine Duval of Bloomfield Township is $2 million richer, the Protect Michigan Commission announced Monday, while also naming the nine young Michiganders who were awarded college scholarships and the last round of $50,000 daily winners.
Duval, who moved to Michigan 13 years ago with her husband and three children from Montreal, got her COVID-19 vaccines in April. She said she plans to use the money to pay for college for her kids and to renovate their home and will donate some of it, too.
“We are really lucky,” Duval said, “and we want to give back to those in need. The pandemic was tough on everyone and we believe the need for providing services that promote positive mental health care is more important now than ever. It’s why we’ll be donating some of our grand prize to improve mental health services in our community. It’s a cause very close to my heart.”
The lottery-style sweepstakes began July 1 to entice more state residents to take COVID-19 vaccines and included giveaways of nearly $5 million in cash and scholarships. More than 2.4 million adults registered to win cash prizes and about 106,000 students ages 12-17 signed up for the scholarship drawings.
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“Thanks to the efforts of so many, and every Michigander who got their shot, the MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes has been a success,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a Monday morning news conference. “Every public health expert will tell you the middle of the summer always shows lower vaccination rates than any other time of year — whether it’s for chickenpox, measles, or COVID-19.
“In June, for example we saw our vaccinations declined week over week for that whole month. But the sweepstakes helped Michigan reverse that trend.”
The sweepstakes featured a single drawing of $50,000 each day for 30 days for adults who got a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine between July 1-July 30. They also had a chance to win a $1 million drawing if they got a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine between Dec. 1 and July 10. The $2 million drawing was open to any adult resident who got a first dose of a vaccine between Dec. 1 and July 30.
More:6 more $50,000 winners in ‘MI Shot To Win’ COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes, 1st from U.P.
For vaccinated 12- to 17-year-olds, there were nine chances to win a four-year Michigan Education Trust (MET) Charitable Tuition Program contract valued at $55,000 each. To be eligible, teens and tweens must have gotten a first dose between Dec. 1 and July 30.
The scholarship winners are:
- Landon Burkhart, Dakota High School, Macomb County
- Karan Choudhary, Plymouth High School, Wayne County
- Josiah DeBaets, Eastern High School, Kent County
- Ian Miller, Salem High School, Wayne County
- Meadow Surman, White Lake Middle School, Oakland County
- Mallory Wheeler, Reading High School, Hillsdale County
- Jackson Wittwer, Eisenhower High School, Macomb County
- Kamare Wright, Thurston High…
Read More: Here’s who won $2M in MI Shot to Win COVID-19 vaccine lottery