$1 Million Ohio Vaccine Lottery Winner Was On Her Way To Buy A Used Car When She Found Out She Won

CINCINNATI ( U. S. ) — Abbey Bugenske of Ohio awoke Wednesday hoping for a new car. She’d have enough money to buy the most costly automobile on the lot by the end of the day.

The 22-year-old lady from a Cincinnati suburb is the first winner of the state’s $1 million Vax-a-Million lotteries, which aims to increase the number of individuals who receive Covid-19 vaccine doses.

Bugenske, a proponent of immunizations, had taken the injection to safeguard her friends and relatives before the lottery was announced.

“Vaccines have always been a part of my medical background. In a news conference on Thursday, she stated, “It was a really easy decision to go get the vaccine as soon as I could.” “I would recommend the immunization to everyone. I’m not sure what would be more satisfying than winning $1 million.”

When Bugenske’s phone rang, she was in the middle of a four-hour journey to Cleveland. She thought that for a joke.

Indeed, it wasn’t.

On the other end of the line was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who surprised her with the news of her new riches.

Her phone kept ringing and her social media following grew once the announcement was made public.

“I was shouting so loudly that my parents mistook me for sobbing and assumed something was wrong,” she explained. “And when I started screaming that I had won $1 million and would be a billionaire, they ordered me to calm down and make sure it wasn’t a joke.”

Bugenske said she hasn’t decided how she’ll spend the money yet, but part of it will be given and part will go toward a new automobile she’s been eyeing. She expects the remainder to be invested.

She was born and raised in Cleveland and graduated from Michigan State University last year. She is pursuing a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at Ohio State University, she added.

She relocated to Silverton, just outside of Cincinnati, in January for a job with General Electric. She intends to continue working.

“Last night, I basically ignored my phone. In terms of dealing with her sudden celebrity, she added, “I still don’t have a strategy.”

She was one of 2.76 million adult entrants in the drawing, which will be held every Wednesday for the next five weeks.

The coronavirus has caused roughly 1 million illnesses across the state. As of Thursday morning, almost 39 percent of the state’s citizens, or 4.6 million individuals, had been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“I felt that we wanted to pique people’s curiosity and generate some excitement. “My trips to immunization locations around the state also influenced our decision,” DeWine stated at the news conference.

“As we spoke with people who were getting vaccinated, it became evident that some would or may acquire it, but there was no feeling of urgency.”

“The quicker we can get people vaccinated, the better,” the governor stated.

Bugenske was one of two winners that were named on Wednesday.

As part of the lottery, 14-year-old Joseph Costello of Englewood received a four-year scholarship to any Ohio institution of his choice.

He stated he hasn’t decided what he wants to study yet, but he’ll most likely go to Miami University in Ohio or Ohio State University.