Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has announced the first winners in the state’s VaxMillions raffle.
From the Governor’s Office
BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration, Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and the Massachusetts State Lottery announced the winners for the first of five drawings for the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway. As part of the giveaway, fully vaccinated residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter to win one of five, $1 million cash prizes. Residents between 12-17 years of age who are fully vaccinated may enter for the chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants.
The winner of this week’s $1 million prize is Darrell Washington of Weymouth. The winner for the $300,000 college scholarship is Daniela Maldonado of Chelsea.
“Congratulations to Darrell Washington and Daniela Maldonado on winning the first-round drawing for the VaxMillions Giveaway,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Since we launched VaxMillions, over 2.3 million residents have signed up and hundreds of thousands of residents have gotten vaccinated, building on Massachusetts’ nation-leading success in protecting our residents. Massachusetts continues to out-perform virtually every state on vaccinations, and we look forward to the remaining drawings for the VaxMillions campaign as another way to encourage more residents to get vaccinated, in addition to innovative approaches like pop-up clinics and in-home vaccinations.”
“We are excited for these first-round winners of the VaxMillions Giveaway, and look forward to seeing the positive impact these prizes will have on their lives,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful that over 4.5 million residents have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, contributing to our status as a national leader in vaccinations. As the VaxMillion Giveaway continues, our Administration remains committed to using every tool available to us to get more residents vaccinated.”
“Today’s winners are a great reminder of why it’s so important to get vaccinated. They won, but we all win too,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “And remember – they got a shot because they got the shots. So get the vax now and you could join us soon!”
“The Mass Lottery is proud to be a part of this important public health initiative and we extend our thanks to everyone who has registered thus far,” said Michael Sweeney, Executive Director, Massachusetts State Lottery. “We congratulate the first winners and are hopeful that today’s announcement will encourage additional state residents to get vaccinated.”
“I am grateful to Darrell Washington and Daniela Maldonado, as well as the over 4.3 million Massachusetts residents that made the decision to protect themselves, their families and their communities by getting vaccinated,” said Secretary Marylou Sudders, Executive Office of Health and Human Services. “Vaccine acceptance in Massachusetts is among the highest in the nation, and we will continue to make the vaccine more accessible and convenient for every eligible resident across the Commonwealth.”
“Leveraging innovative technology solutions has been a key component to the Baker-Polito Administration’s public health response to the pandemic,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curtis M. Wood. “We are proud to partner with the Massachusetts State Lottery and public health officials on this important vaccination initiative and we congratulate today’s winners.”
The registration deadline for the next VaxMillions Giveaway is today, Thursday, July 29. Winners for that drawing will be drawn on Monday, August 2 and announced on Thursday, August 5. The full list of registration, drawing and announcement dates is listed below.
Residents must be fully vaccinated before registering, but if they are not vaccinated by the registration date for a certain drawing, they will still have the opportunity to complete vaccination and register for subsequent drawings. Residents will only have to enter once to qualify for all drawings occurring after the date of their registration.
To date, over 2.3 million people have signed up for the VaxMillions Giveaway. Since the program was announced on June 15, almost 200,000 residents have gotten a first dose of the vaccine, and over 330,000 residents have become fully vaccinated.
Massachusetts remains a national leader in vaccinations with over 4.3 million residents fully vaccinated and over 4.5 million residents with at least one dose.
How to Enter
Eligible residents are able to enter the giveaway at VaxMillionsGiveaway.com. For residents who do not have access to the internet or require assistance, a call center can be reached by calling 2-1-1 during the below hours:
• Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM-6:00 PM
• Friday: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
• Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Live call center workers are available in English and Spanish, and 100 additional languages are available through translators.
Prize Details
Massachusetts residents 18 years of age and older who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will have a chance to win one of five, $1 million cash prizes.
Massachusetts residents between 12 and 17 years of age who have received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will have a chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants via a 529 College Savings Plan managed by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA). Funds in a 529 plan can be applied to cover tuition, room and board, and related expenses at any college, university, or technical or trade school or other post-secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Winners with a qualifying disability may elect instead to receive an equivalent financial contribution to a special needs trust or federally qualified ABLE account to cover qualified expenses.
Only legal, permanent residents of Massachusetts who are fully vaccinated can enter the drawings. Residents must have received their vaccine doses within Massachusetts. Residents must be fully vaccinated prior to submitting their entry.
Fraud
Residents can email support@vaxmillionsgiveaway.mass.gov or call 2-1-1 to report any instances of fraud or suspicious activity associated with the VaxMillions Giveaway Promotion. Residents are reminded that official prize notification emails related to the VaxMillions Giveaway will come from a Massachusetts Department of Public Health email address ending in “@mass.gov.” More information on tips for identifying suspected fraud can be found here.
Vaccination Locations
There are over 900 vaccination locations across the Commonwealth, with appointments and walk-ins widely available. Residents seeking a vaccine can visit mass.gov/COVIDVaccine to find a vaccine location that is convenient for them.
For more information on the Mass VaxMillions Giveaway, visit VaxMillionsGiveaway.com.
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