“The Authoress,” the Carroll County VaxCash winner from the June 25 drawing, claimed her $40,000 prize at Lottery headquarters.
Promotion delivers last of its 41 prizes
A Carroll County woman was the last of 41 winners to claim a prize in the $2 Million VaxCash Promotion, which concluded July 4. The anonymous winner, going by the alias “The Authoress,” claimed her $40,000 prize after being selected in the promotion’s June 25 drawing.
The 42-year-old winner told Lottery officials that she received her COVID-19 vaccination earlier this year and said her decision to do so was just one way that she felt she could minimize the risk for herself and her family.
“I know there are people with reservations, but we weeded out the noise, did our research and made our choice,” she said. “Everyone’s free to do what they think is best for them, but that’s how we roll in our house.”
While taking steps to protect herself and family, her vaccination also earned her a $40,000 prize. When she was contacted, first by Maryland Department of Health officials and then by Lottery representatives, she played along but was unsure that the news was genuine. Winning prize money for getting a shot just seemed so unbelievable.
“We live regular lives,” she said. “We get up, go to work and take care of our kids. That this would happen just didn’t seem real,” she added.
An engineer by vocation, The Authoress told Lottery officials that she also has a literary bent, having written a handful of books and journals.
The lucky winner said most of the prize money will go toward savings, but said the family may be able to use a small portion to purchase a new vehicle.
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.
