Justice announces final winners in ‘Do It For Babydog’ COVID vaccination sweepstakes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The final winners of Governor’s Jim Justice’s “Do It For Babydog” COVID-19 vaccination sweepstakes were announced Tuesday as state officials continued their push to get more shots in arms.

Wally Board of Spencer received the grand prize of $1,588,000. Justice and his English bulldog, Babydog, surprised Board and his family at his family business, Board-Depue Realty.

Kara Waldeck, of Shepherdstown, was at Larobi’s Pizza in Charleston to celebrate her grandfather’s birthday when the governor and Babydog presented her with a check for getting vaccinated.

She told MetroNews she was in “shock” and “disbelief” to receive the money.

“I submitted by name thinking why not try it out? I’ve been vaccinated, but didn’t think I would win anything. It’s like buying a lottery ticket. You don’t really expect to win,” Waldeck said.

Waldeck not only got her vaccine, but also administered it to people in her community at the Shepherdstown Walgreens.

“Some days we were doing more than 100 in a day. It slowed down, but it’s picking back up again. There were days where we had people scheduled 5 every 15 minutes,” she said.

Part of the money will go toward a number of things, including pay off her college loans.

“No more debt, mostly, and then I’ll figure it out after that,” Waldeck said.

Earlier in the day, the governor stopped in Beckley to congratulate health care worker Paul Swartz with a brand new custom-made pick-up truck. Swartz works as a dietitian at Jackie Withrow Hospital.

Justice presented a second truck to Megan Landsberg of Vienna; Landsberg is an adjunct professor at Marietta College in Ohio.

Cheylan Cummings, of Gary, and Ashley Goots, of Bridgeport, were named as the winners of two full four-year scholarships to any public institution in the state.

Additional prizes announced include five lifetime hunting licenses, five lifetime fishing licenses, five custom hunting rifles, five custom hunting shotguns, and 25 weekend getaways to West Virginia State Parks.

The sweepstakes lasted for seven weeks.

Justice said he believes the incentive has contributed to the rise in vaccinations across the state. On Tuesday, the state Department of Health and Human Resources reported 57 percent of West Virginians ages 12 and older have been fully vaccinated.

“About 180,000 more people have been vaccinated since we started this, so money well spent. Whole lot of fun,” Justice said during his stop in Charleston Tuesday.

Below is a list of the other final winner in the “Do It For Babydog” sweepstakes:

Lifetime Hunting License Winners
Joan Blankenship, Lerona
Jessica Farley, Reedsville
Travis Moreland, Bunker Hill
Sharon Pinardo, Shady Spring
Steven Zubrzycki, St. Albans

Lifetime Fishing License Winners
Donald Bryant, Davin
Karen Richards, Hedgesville
Ronald Richards, Minden
Kimbra Stamper, Millwood
Dallas Williams, Elkview

Custom Hunting Rifle Winners
Vesta Linda Burgin, Beckley
Dale Heinritz, Harrisville
Patricia McCoy, Oceana
Dreama Messinger, Ranger
Christopher Rozycki, Morgantown

Custom Hunting Shotgun Winners
Linda Ashworth, Ashton
Edith Browning, Weston
Michael Durgan, Charleston
Richard Timko, Moundsville
Joyce Underwood, Grantsville

State Park Weekend Getaway Winners
Martha Bryant, Point Pleasant
Phil Burleyson, Tunnelton
Linda K. Cipoletti, Cross Lanes
Alexander Coburn, Sinks Grove
David Dulaney, Colliers
Jo Flynn, Craigsville
James Howard, New Haven
Torie Jackson, Pennsboro
Ernest Johnson, Edmond
Edna LeMasters, Huttonsville
Alexandra Lengyel, Weirton
Angela Lovejoy, Powellton
Jeffrey Lowe, Wallace
Larry Ludwick, Salem
Rory Marant, St. Marys
Raegan Marshall, Weirton
Sarah Meeks, Sistersville
Elizabeth Mitchell, Franklin
Jason Moore, Philippi
Martin Poole, Vienna
Charles Rosser, Bridgeport
Jerry Rush, Moorefield
Bulah Sharrock, Bluefield
Linda Tracy, Slaty Fork
Jacqueline Wilson, Clarksburg





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