MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday made multiple stops to present the most recent winners of the statewide vaccination lottery with their prizes.
Justice stopped in Frankford and Parkersburg to congratulate Tracy Brownell and Ciara Jacobs respectively for winning custom-outfitted trucks. He presented a $1 million check to Sharon Turner of Morgantown at Kegler’s Sports Bar in the city.
“I just thought somebody rigged something up for my birthday because yesterday was my birthday,” Turner told MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM. ” I figured it was a close friend or someone wanting to throw something for my birthday.”
The winners are the latest West Virginians to receive prizes through the “Do It For Babydog: Save a life, Change your life” sweepstakes, which is named after the governor’s English bulldog.
Turner said she was not motivated to get vaccinated by the $1 million prize.
“I wanted to stay healthy for my kids and grandkids,” she said.
Turner took pictures with Justice and Babydog. The governor spoke to 30 other patrons at the restaurant about the importance of getting vaccinated for the coronavirus.
“There’s a lot of people that are still pretty stubborn about doing this,” he said. “They don’t truly realize how important it is and how safe it is to get vaccinated.”
The governor’s office also announced the winners of other prizes:
— Full four-year scholarships to any West Virginia public institution: Jenna Atwell of Paynesville and Brendon Lee of Falling Waters.
— Lifetime hunting licenses: Larry Wayne Cox of Lindside; Andrea Lamb of Weston; Donna Montgomery of Masontown; Paul O’Dell of Canvas; and Floyd Teter of Terra Alta.
— Lifetime fishing licenses: Patrick Bowles of Ashford; Abigail Mullins of Alderson; William Perkins of Washington; Keith Reed of Matoaka; and Sharon Shaffer of Bruceton Mills.
— Custom hunting rifles: Aimee Cain of Elkins; Lindsay Erwin of Cross Lanes; Denzil Lyncy of Elizabeth; Donald Reed of Princeton; and Jason Vance of Beckley.
— Custom hunting shotguns: David Abraham of Charleston; Crystal Lockhart of Winfield; Marvin Maynar of Verdunville; Joyce Westfall of Clarksburg; and David White of Ravenswood.
— State Park weekend getaways: Darrell Adkins of Lorado; Larry Arbogas of Scarbro; Judith Ash of Salem; Michelle Barr of New Haven; Amber Blankenship of Wheeling; Marion Brewer of Comfort; Tina Browning of Milton; Tracy Gore of Accoville; Renea Hetrick of Morgantown; Ariana Hydorn of Barboursville; James Jackson of Gassaway; Mark Klug of Wheeling; Pauletta Kovalsk of Wheeling; Melissa Mayes of Point Pleasant; Robert McMahon of Follansbee; Robin Myers of Lumberport; Breanna Schoonover of Parkersburg; Janet Slider of Paden City; Danielle Stanley of Parkersburg; Pete Stark of Huntington; Brian Tephabock of Masontown; Shane Tyree of Beaver; Steven Utley of Lost Creek; Robert Waskey of Ravenswood; and Mary Anne Young of Nitro.
Additional lottery drawings will take place through Aug. 4.