The latest winner of Ohio's million-dollar vaccine lottery says the sweepstakes was the extra motivation he needed to go get the COVID-19 shot.
Jonathan Carlyle, 40, was finishing a shift of delivering packages for Amazon when he found out he won $1M. Carlyle, father of a five-month-old baby, says winning the lottery brings a huge relief.
"This is so welcomed," said Carlyle during a press conference with the winners. "I can't explain how much pressure this is going to take off to help raise him right."
Carlyle says his girlfriend had already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and he wanted to get the shot but work would get in the way. He says the lottery was the extra push to get vaccinated.
"I just kept putting it off, putting it off. I knew I needed to get it and wanted to get it. And when y'all announced the Vax-A-Million, as soon as I heard that I said yes I've got to go do this now."
Carlyle wants to use his winnings to buy a house.
College scholarship winner Zoie Vincent, 17, is considering going to Ohio State University or Case Western Reserve University. Vincent says the scholarship for an undergraduate means she can pursue her goal of going to medical school, debt free.
Vincent says she had COVID-19 a few months ago and said it was the sickest she'd ever been which motivated her to get the shot when she was eligible.
"I do think it played a significant role in my decision to get the vaccination. Because it was like, if I can somehow guarantee that I will never feel this way again or my family won't have to feel this way again, I would definitely take it."
The third Vax-A-Million drawing will be held on June 7 and the winners will be announced June 9. Those who have already entered the drawing will remain eligible, while others who want to sign up have until 11:59 p.m., June 6.
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau
