Colorado Comeback Cash: Final $1M, Scholarship Winners Announced

DENVER, CO — Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday the final Colorado Comeback Cash $1 million winner and the last round of $50,000 scholarship winners.

And the final $1 million winner is ...

Heidi Russell, a mother of four and Aurora resident, who has a 2-week-old baby.

"I'm still in shock — I've only known about this for 24 hours, and it still doesn't feel real," she said during a news conference.

Russell said she's excited to pay off her student loans, and fund her children's college education.

“We are very grateful for the brilliant minds of scientists, researchers, manufacturers, and government leaders that have enabled this vaccine to come to fruition," Russell said. "To create a safe and effective vaccine in less than a year is a miracle.

“Having three school-age children this past year has been difficult. But my family and I are excited to go back to being in school full-time and gaining back our sense of normalcy. I recognize that hitting our state goal of over 70% of adults being vaccinated has helped my family to accomplish this goal.”

Wednesday's scholarship winners:

• Megan, 17, of Loveland
• Lily Casey, 12, of Windsor
• Delaney Frank, 16, of Frederick
• Quentin Ryan, 13, of Boulder
• Zerisinay Tsige, 17, of Greeley

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Coloradans between ages 12 and 17 — who have at least one dose of their vaccine — were eligible to win the $50,000 scholarship.

The scholarship funds will be placed in a CollegeInvest account for the student to use when they pursue postsecondary education, including higher and technical education or credential programs. The funds can be left in the interest-bearing account for future educational use.

The scholarship doesn't have to be used for college — it can also be used for training courses and other types of education, Polis said.