Making The Most of Vax-A-Million Publicity

Ohio’s Vax-A-Million drawing this week is just the beginning of a five-week publicity campaign to promote the coronavirus vaccine. It began with 14 year-old Joseph Costello of Englewood being selected to win the college scholarship and Abbigail Bugenske of Cincinnati to win the $1 million cash prize. Both were skeptical at first when Gov. Mike DeWine called them himself late Wednesday to give them the good news.

Joseph’s mother, Colleen, said during a news conference Thursday morning on-line with Gov. Mike DeWine and Bugenske, that when she was called late Wednesday she thought it was a recording of the Governor at first and maybe a prank. A moment later it sunk in. Her son Joseph’s name was chosen in the drawing. Costello said she and her husband were vaccinated earlier and planned to take Joseph to get the shot soon, but when she heard about the state Vax-A-Million drawing, she moved-up her plan.

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“I had intended to get all of our children vaccinated by the end of this month, but because of the initial entry deadline of the contest we pulled that date forward and made sure everyone was vaccinated,” Costello said.

Million dollar winner Abbigail Bugenske said she had been vaccinated much earlier, but supports the idea of promoting the vaccine through a lottery give-away.

“I think it was a great idea. Just hearing the numbers of how many people signed up just because of the Vax-A-Million idea. It’s clearly working and that’s great,” Bugenske said.

Gov. Mike DeWine made sure to tell everyone that the deadline for the next drawing is this Sunday at 11:59 pm.  As the Lottery did in the first go-round this week, the next drawing will also be done on Monday. The winners will be contacted in advance and their names will be announced on statewide TV Wednesday night. The drawings will run five weeks with five consecutive million dollar winners to be selected, along with five college scholarships to be given out.

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During the press conference, DeWine clarified the rules for the college scholarship give-away. Earlier, the Lottery said the scholarship would be good at any state supported university, like Wright State, Miami, Ohio State or the other schools that receive state funding. On Thursday DeWine said the scholarship money will be an amount to cover room, board, tuition and books equal to the highest cost state university, with the money placed in a 529 education savings account in the student’s name. DeWine said the money could be spent by the student to go to any college or university of their choice, public or private.

Joseph Costello had voiced interest in attending the University of Dayton, which is a private school. He now will be able to attend UD using the Vax-A-Million money if he chooses to do that.

DeWine said he plans to continue contacting the winners each week by phone just before their name is read on statewide TV to confirm that, yes, they are a winner.

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