Last round of vaccine lottery winners announced

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the final round of vaccine lottery winners Friday afternoon, marking the end of the Shot At A Million campaign.

Janet Mann, a 63-year-old Bossier City resident, won the $1 million grand prize. Five teenagers also won $100,000 scholarships. The scholarship winners were Emily Guillet of Baton Rouge, Gavin Harrington of Rosedale, MacKenzie Rigdon of Metairie, Emma Fisackerly of New Orleans and Jackson Page of New Orleans. 

“Every winner is a shining example of Louisianans doing their part to help put this pandemic behind us, and I could not be more proud of or happy for all of them, from our first to our very last,” Edwards said in a statement. “Our state is in a tough fight against this fourth surge of COVID-19, and we need our people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

The campaign kicked off June 21, ending the last submissions on July 31. Shot At A Million was funded using federal COVID-19 money, giving away a total of $2.3 million in awards to 14 winners. About 902,758 people registered for their Shot At A Million. 

The last round of drawing was conducted by the Louisiana Lottery Corporation and overseen by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor Aug. 6. 

State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said the campaign helped with positive perception of COVID-19 vaccination statewide. 

“This campaign offered a fun incentive for people who decided to get the shot, and a way for us to continue to positively reinforce the benefits of vaccines throughout Louisiana,” Kanter said. “The vaccines are our most effective tool in beating COVID-19, and when we do, we will all be winners.”