West Virginians who get a COVID-19 vaccination will be entered into sweepstakes to win custom guns or $1 million, Gov. Jim Justice announced on Tuesday.
“We’re going to give five custom hunting rifles and five custom hunting shotguns away on Father’s Day. And also on Father’s Day, we’re going to make one of you a millionaire. We’re going to give away a million dollars to somebody on Father’s Day,” Justice, a Republican, told a press conference.
The program will award $1 million to one person each week starting June 20. On the last day, Aug. 4, the state will give $1,588,000 to the winner and $588,000 to the runner-up, Justice said.
“I’m sure we'll have a bunch of happy campers,” Justice said.
Some details of what is being described as an incentive lottery were announced last week but more information was released on Tuesday.
Along with guns, the state plans on doling out college scholarships and pickup trucks. The state is buying the prizes before handing them out, as opposed to receiving donated items to award to vaccine recipients.
Only people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination are eligible and those people must also register at a website the state is creating.
“I can’t stand for Ohio to get ahead of us on anything,” Justice, the West Virginia governor, told reporters on Tuesday.
