Winner was selected in second drawing on Feb. 22
The second of the 12 prizes in the VaxCash 2.0 Promotion was awarded to a 52-year-old Montgomery County resident who visited Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on Feb. 28 to claim the prize.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, said he knew a bit about the promotion, but never pictured being able to win. The IT professional said he received the initial call from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) notifying him of his win while he was working from home. He approached the news with some skepticism, but after careful investigation, he returned the call to MDH and learned that he was a $50,000 VaxCash 2.0 winner.
The lucky man credits a feeling of responsibility and some lucky dates for his win.
“When you live in a community, you have a responsibility. Getting the shot is everyone’s way to contribute and get past this virus,” said the winner.
He also explained to Lottery officials that he was selected on 2-22-22, a date considered lucky by many, and received his booster just two days before Christmas.
“Those are special dates, so I think they may have given me a bit of extra luck,” said the father of two college-aged children. He plans to use the funds to pay for a portion of their higher education costs.
The VaxCash 2.0 Promotion, which was announced by Gov. Larry Hogan on Feb. 8, will award $2 million in cash prizes in weekly drawings each Tuesday from Feb. 15 to May 3. VaxCash 2.0 aims to incentivize Marylanders to get the COVID-19 booster. All Maryland residents 18 and older who have received an initial shot(s) and a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at eligible facilities in Maryland at any time are eligible to win. No registration or entry is needed.
The Montgomery County man’s win is the first of 10 weekly drawings from Feb. 22 through April 26 awarding $50,000 prizes. The first drawing on Feb. 15 awarded a Dundalk woman a $500,000 prize and the last drawing on May 3 will award a grand prize of $1 million.
VaxCash 2.0 follows last year’s successful collaboration between the Lottery and MDH for the VaxCash Promotion that ran from May 25 through July 4, 2021, awarding $2 million in prizes to vaccinated Marylanders. For complete details about VaxCash 2.0, including the official rules and a list of frequently asked questions and answers, visit the VaxCash 2.0 page.
