Denton resident Ted Rock was the July 2 winner of $40,000 in the VaxCash Promotion.
Caroline County resident claims prize from July 2 drawing.
An Eastern Shore man is the latest winner to claim a $40,000 prize in the $2 Million VaxCash Promotion. Denton resident Ted Rock, was selected as a winner in the July 2 drawing.
Rock told Lottery officials that he received his first vaccine in early April, in preparation for planned international travel. He explained that the vaccine was also necessary to protect him and his family members from the virus as they got back to some sense of normalcy, whether it be back to work or school.
If those reasons for getting vaccinated weren’t enough, Rock had another:
“My wife made me do it,” he joked.
The 57-year-old said he hates getting shots and was initially wary about the vaccine, but was glad he got it when he did, because it also gave him the Lottery luck he’s been in search of for quite some time.
“I’ve been entering the Lottery’s second-chance contests for over a year, always hoping to win,” Rock said.
That luck turned with a call in the middle of his morning routine just a few days ago. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran said he was in the middle of a workout when a call from a Maryland Department of Health representative informed him of his win. In addition to his happiness about winning, he hopes being picked helps his community too.
“There are a lot of folks on the shore who aren’t too sure about getting a shot. Maybe if they see someone like me from where they live, they might think twice,” said Rock.
The former Morgan State University strength and conditioning coach runs his own training program, Holloway Formula Fitness and Sports Performance. He said his clients are returning slowly as reopening continues, but the VaxCash winnings will give the business owner a bit of breathing room as the fitness industry gains momentum. He added that he will also use a portion of the prize for home improvements and the children’s college fund.
The VaxCash Promotion, announced by Governor Larry Hogan on May 20, was a collaboration of the Maryland Lottery and the Maryland Department of Health, aimed at incentivizing Marylanders who had not yet received their COVID-19 vaccinations while rewarding those who had. All Maryland residents 18 and older who had received a COVID-19 shot at a non-Federal facility in Maryland at any time were automatically entered into daily drawings held from May 25 through July 4. Beginning with the June 27 drawing, any Maryland resident 18 or older who was vaccinated at a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility located in Maryland was also eligible.
Each day through July 3, one winner was awarded a $40,000 prize, and the promotion concluded on the Fourth of July with a single winner of a $400,000 prize.
