Gov. Polis Announces Next Comeback Cash Winners

DENVER, CO — Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday the third $1 million winner of Colorado's Comeback Cash vaccine drawing and the second round of five winners in the state's vaccine scholarship program.

And the winner of the third $1 million check is ...

Pete Vegas, of Boulder, who got his vaccine the first day it became available for his age group. Pete says he plans to spend most of his $1 million fighting climate change and building a multi-acre, environmentally-friendly greenhouse for growing greens.

"Thank you to Governor Polis and the state of Colorado for this amazing gift and for your efforts to get people across our state vaccinated," Vegas said.

"Getting the vaccine is not all about yourself, the decision is really about joining with the rest of your community to stop the spread of this awful virus. I encourage all of my fellow Coloradans who have not yet been vaccinated to make a plan to do so today.”

After the Friday announcement, two more Coloradans are set to become $1 million richer — a winner is set to be announced each week through July 7. The next drawings will be held June 25 and July 7.

Friday's round of scholarship winners:

• Sabine Manske, 17, of Littleton said she loves biology and hopes to continue learning more about the field with her new scholarship.
• Hannah Blackman, 17, of Golden, hopes to study criminal justice in New York. “This scholarship will make that next step possible for me and really make my dreams come true,” she said.
• The youngest winner so far, 13-year-old Levi, of Boulder, said he was really skeptical when he first found out he won and worried it was a scam and that he was going to get kidnapped. “It means a lot to me to get vaccinated … I just want everything to get back to normal,” he said.
• Brady Roland, 16, of Arvada, is afraid of needles but said she’s glad she chose to get the shot because the “pros outweigh the cons.” Brady said she’s very grateful for the scholarship.
• Zen Ottensen, 17, of Parker, said he’s busy touring schools and deciding where his scholarship will be spent.

Don’t miss the latest news updates in Denver, Boulder, Arvada, Lakewood and Littleton. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Coloradans between ages 12 and 17 — who have at least one dose of their vaccine — are eligible to each win a $50,000 scholarship. Fifteen more winners are scheduled to be announced until July 2.

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.