Rising college senior, high school sophomore win North Carolina’s final vaccination lottery prizes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A rising college senior and a rising high school sophomore are the final winners of North Carolina’s COVID-19 vaccination lottery.

Lilly Fowler, from East Bend, N.C. in Yadkin County, chose to be vaccinated because she moved to Raleigh, a large city, to attend in-person school at North Carolina State University.

Fowler is now headed to college with the $1 million prize.

She won the North Carolina $1 million vaccination lottery, and with taxes, she claims just over $702,000.

“I chose to get because I was transferring from Early College, and last year, my junior year, I wasn’t able to live in Raleigh,” Fowler said. “Now, I am in my senior year at State, in Raleigh, so it is a bigger city with more risks. So I felt it was time for me to get vaccinated.”

Fowler encourages people to research the vaccines but also urges people to get their vaccination.

“What I would say to someone who is on the fence about being vaccinated, it’s a personal choice, do your research with sources you deem reliable,” she said.

Fowler says she will buy a house with the winnings and take her young cousin to Disney World.

“I’m pretty frugal,” Fowler said. “I think I will probably just invest and wait until I buy a house, but in the short term, I do want to take my baby cousin, who loves Elsa and Mickey, to Disney World when it is safer to do so.”

Breelyn Dean, a student-athlete in Garner, N.C., is the final vaccination scholarship winner in N.C.

She is a rising sophomore in school but hopes to one day attend college at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Dean won the $125,000 scholarship toward secondary education.

“I chose to get vaccinated because It will protect me, my family and others around me,” Dean said. “For people who haven’t gotten vaccinated, I would say you should take into consideration how this virus has affected the world.”

While there are no more $1 million vaccination lotteries, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper says there are still opportunities to get $100 gift cards for vaccinations.

On Monday, North Carolina reported 5,256 new COVID-19 cases, along with 2,930 hospitalizations.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,131,243 COVID-19 cases and 13,952 deaths.

“With our COVID-19 numbers getting higher, vaccinations are the best way to get them down,” Cooper said. “Vaccines are safe, effective and free. The vaccine will protect you from hospitalization or death.”

The third $1 million vaccination winner was Audrey Chavous, an 18-year-old who is planning to go to college at Fayetteville State in the Fall.

“My first reaction, honestly, was pure shock,” said Chavous, from Winston-Salem. “I didn’t think it was a real thing. I thought it was spam mail when I saw it in my email. I’m ecstatic. I have no words to describe how happy I am.”

The drawing is part of the state’s “Bringing Summer Back” campaign, which was initiated to encourage North Carolina residents to get COVID-19 vaccination.

The adult winner wins the grand prize of $1 million, which ends up being more than 702,000 after taxes.

Minors between the ages of 12 to 17, who have been vaccinated, are eligible for the $125,000 prize for post-secondary education.

Pineville resident Natalie Everett was announced as the second $1 million winner. The $125,000 scholarship winner was revealed as 16-year old high school student Jessica Klima of Greensboro.

Shelly Wyramon, a teacher from Winston Salem, won the first $1 million prize. 14-year-old high school freshman Vania Martinez, from Wilmington, won $125,000 toward post-secondary education.

Your Shot at A Million, Summer Cash 4 College and the $25 Summer Card are part of the state’s Bringing Summer Back get-out-the-vaccine campaign to increase awareness of the availability and safety of COVID-19 vaccines and to encourage North Carolinians to get their shot.

Executive Order 219, which has concurrence from the North Carolina Council of State, authorizes the drawings.

Copyright 2021 WBTV. All rights reserved.