Towson Woman Wins $40K In Vaccine Lottery

TOWSON, MD — A Towson woman has been identified as the first winner of the Maryland Lottery's VaxCash sweepstakes.

Deidre Poore Eagan claimed her prize at the Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore Tuesday, June 1, officials said.

Eagan, 55, works as a deli employee at Giant Food.

"I’m around people all day at work, so I got vaccinated because I didn’t want to chance bringing something home that would make my husband sick,” Eagan told the Maryland Lottery.

Her husband, who has also been vaccinated against COVID-19, went with her to claim her prize Tuesday. They said they plan to use the cash to pay bills, and they may put some of the money toward a new car.

Marylanders who got the COVID-19 vaccine at any non-federal vaccination site were automatically entered into the VaxCash drawing. (Federal clinics are those run by Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.)

Here's how it works: The Maryland Lottery has assigned a number to each person who got at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

From May 25 to July 3, lottery officials are randomly drawing a number and giving away $40,000 to the person who corresponds to that number. State health officials, who are the custodians of the vaccination data, is alerted of the random number that is drawn and will notify the winner who corresponds to the number.

Eagan said she was at work last week when the Maryland Department of Health notified her that she was the winner.

“I checked my voicemail, and just didn’t believe it,” she told lottery officials. “I spoke to the guy from the Department of Health on my way home, and when he said I really was the winner, I told him, ‘I have to pull over now.’”

Among those celebrating with Eagan was Gov. Larry Hogan, who announced the launch of the VaxCash promotion May 20.

“Congratulations to Deidre and her family on getting vaccinated and on being one of our first winners!” Hogan said in a statement. “We can't wait to meet more of our lottery winners throughout the month, and we thank the millions of Marylanders who have stepped up to get vaccinated.”

The VaxCash drawings are aimed at "incentivizing Marylanders who have not yet received their COVID-19 vaccinations while rewarding those who have," according to the Maryland Lottery.

Maryland residents who are vaccinated anytime up to July 3 are automatically entered into the drawing. On the Fourth of July, one person will be awarded $400,000 through the program.

The Free State is not alone in trying to reward people with cash for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Colorado, Ohio and West Virginia are conducting lottery drawings for residents who have gotten vaccinated in their states.

See Also:

• First MD Vaccine Lottery Winner Was From Baltimore County
• State To Enter Vaccinated Marylanders In 41 Lottery Drawings
• MD Paying $2M In Prizes To Select Vaccinated Residents