Inslee announces vaccination incentives

If you’re already vaccinated, you’re already entered to win!

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE |||

Gov. Jay Inslee today announced a suite of new incentives to help encourage unvaccinated Washingtonians to get the COVID shot.

The Washington State Lottery will be conducting a “Shot of a Lifetime” giveaway series during the month of June, working with state agencies, technology companies, sports teams and higher education institutions across the state to offer a myriad of different prizes to vaccinated individuals.

The incentives announced today include:

• Lottery cash drawings, with prizes totaling $2 million
• Higher education tuition and expense assistance
• Sports tickets and gear
• Gift cards
• Airline tickets
• Game systems and smart speakers

“These generous programs will encourage more Washingtonians to take this life-saving vaccine,” Inslee said during a press conference Thursday. “I hope people will see this as an opportunity to reopen even sooner than June 30th if we can stay motivated, stay informed and get more people vaccinated faster throughout the month of June.”

According to the most recent data from the Department of Health (DOH), approximately 63% of Washingtonians 16 years and older have initiated their vaccinations. The state hopes that the incentives announced today will entice unvaccinated people to initiate their vaccinations and raise the statewide rate to save more lives and protect more people.

Washington is set to reopen fully on June 30, or when the percentage of eligible adults who have initiated vaccination reaches 70%, whichever comes first.

Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said that he hopes incentives unveiled today help push Washington closer to the 70% reopening goal.

“Our state has made tremendous progress, with well over half of our population 16 and older fully vaccinated, but there are still far too many people who have not started vaccination,” Shah said. “We hope this effort encourages people to get their vaccine to protect themselves and their communities as we push toward reopening at the end of this month.”

Cash prizes

Starting next week, the Lottery will conduct one drawing for $250,000 every week for four weeks for all vaccinated individuals. At the end of the four weeks, there will be an additional, final drawing for a $1 million prize.

Vaccinated Washingtonians don’t need to do anything to be entered in the four drawings. The Lottery will automatically gather names from the DOH statewide immunization database.

The governor was joined by Marcus Glasper, director of the Washington State Lottery, for the announcement.

“Washington’s Lottery is proud to partner with the Governor’s Office and the Department of Health on this important promotion,” Glasper said. “As the state’s principal agency on conducting lottery drawings, we are honored to be able to play even a small role in administering a promotion that helps ensure that our state’s residents are healthy and protected as we continue to move towards ending the pandemic.”

Higher education assistance

Inslee also announced a suite of higher education incentives, including tuition and book assistance at institutions across the state.

Nearly $1 million will be dispersed directly to the public four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges to run their own drawing for free tuition and expenses for vaccinated students.

The state will also be offering 30 prizes of one year of tuition college credits to 12–17-year-olds through the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET program). These credits will go directly to families.

Tickets

Also included in the incentives announced today are various ticket prizes offered by Washington companies and sports teams.

Potential prizes include:

Alaska Airlines

• 2 free airline tickets to anywhere Alaska flies

Seattle Mariners

• 4 tickets to an upcoming game
• Full suite to an upcoming game

Seattle Sounders

• 4 tickets to a game in August, plus two autographed jerseys

Seattle Storm

• 10 tickets a game for the rest of the season

Seattle Seahawks

• 4 club level seats, plus parking passes

Seattle Kraken

• Concert tickets

OL Reign

• Four 2021 season tickets, plus a team-signed jersey

Game systems and smart speakers

The governor also announced that several technology companies are offering technology and software to help the state’s efforts to get people vaccinated.

Microsoft will be giving away 300 Xboxs and GamePasses to vaccinated individuals, and Nintendo will be giving away Nintendo Switches. Google will give away 25 Google Nests and Amazon will be giving away 100 Echo Dots.

Gift Cards

In addition to the above incentives, the Washington State Department of Commerce partnering with the Association of Washington Business (AWB) and local Chambers of Commerce will be purchasing $1 million of gift cards to local businesses through local chambers of commerce to be given away at vaccine locations. Commerce and AWB will be sharing additional details soon about the locations and dates where this program will roll out.

The Washington State Department of Health will also have $500,000 in gift cards to give away over the summer as part of their Care-a-Van mobile vaccination effort. The gift cards will be for different kinds of retail offerings — from groceries to fishing gear to top soil.

The Washington State Parks will also be giving away 80 “one week of free camping” gift cards, worth $250 each, and the Washington Department for Fish and Wildlife will be giving away 80 $100 gift certificates for fishing and hunting licenses. Also included will be 400 Discover Passes, which allow access to recreation on State public lands.

“Choices have consequences. The vaccine is our best and safest chance to get back to pre-pandemic levels of activity,” Inslee said. “It is a personal choice, but one that affects the lives of millions. The choices we make affect our neighbors, our friends and our families. So, I hope more people make the right choice, to learn more about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and to get vaccinated.”

If you or a loved one has yet to get vaccinated, make an appointment at VaccineLocator.doh.wa.gov.

Eligibility

All vaccine incentive prizes will be drawn from the DOH immunization database to determine winners. The only action that Washingtonians need to take to win any of the prizes is to get vaccinated. All individuals who have been previously vaccinated are eligible.

The incentives are open to all Washington residents regardless of citizenship, but proof of Washington residency is required.

Employees currently working at the Office of the Governor, Washington State Lottery and Department of Health and their households are not eligible for these incentives.