(WWJ) -- The first four winners of the “MI Shot to Win” vaccine sweepstakes have been announced, and three of them hail from metro Detroit.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday revealed the winners of the first round of the daily $50,000 drawings as part of her lottery program to provide incentive for more Michiganders to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to 30 winners of the daily $50,000 prizes, the state will also award a $1 million prize, a $2 million prize and nine four-year college scholarships.
The first winners of the lottery are:
-- Chris Ackerman of Detroit
-- Amber Berger of New Baltimore
-- Adrienne Peterson of Southfield
-- Larita Lee of Wyoming, a suburb of Grand Rapids
As of Wednesday, Whitmer says 62% of Michiganders ages 16 and up have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The incentive contest -- which was announced last month and runs from July 1 to Aug. 3 -- is aiming to help the state reach its goal of 70% of Michiganders vaccinated.
“These safe, effective vaccines will help keep you and your family and your community safe, and the most vulnerable will be safe as well,” Whitmer said live online Wednesday afternoon. “We are fortunate to have them and we’re going to continue to make efforts to reach out to people across the state, meet them where they are, answer questions and help them get their shot.”
Ackerman said Wednesday it “came as a surprise” when he found out he was among the first batch of the contest’s winners.
“I’m happy I got vaccinated because, first off -- I’m safe, keep my family safe. Now look, I just won some money,” Ackerman said.
He also added some words of encouragement for the rest of the state, urging fellow Michiganders to follow his lead.
“Michigan, let’s all go ahead and get vaccinated so we can get back to a better Michigan,” he said.
As of Wednesday, more than 1.8 million Michiganders have entered their names into the MI Shot to Win sweepstakes, with more than 180,000 new entries since Sunday, according to a story from the Detroit Free Press.
The vaccine lottery is operated by Meijer, with the state providing a grant for the program, funded through federal COVID-19 relief money.
Anyone who has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is eligible to enter the sweepstakes. More details on how to enter can be found at mishottowin.com. Michiganders can also find where to get the vaccine on the state’s website.
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