WKU awards prizes for vaccinated

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Western Kentucky University has a new way of rewarding people for getting their Covid vaccines. 

In August, WKU announced their Vaccine Incentive Program. Each week from now through the beginning of October, the university will draw 26 vaccinated employees and 40 vaccinated students to receive prizes.

Prizes for those 66 winners every week include a semester’s full tuition scholarship, iPad Pros, WKU store gift cards and $1,000 checks. The lucky people drawn have 72 hours to show that they have had at least one Covid vaccination. 

WKU Director of Media Relations Jace Lux said this contest has helped people make the decision to get vaccinated. He says about 7,500 people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, have already entered the contest.

“It’s great to be able to reward people to do the right thing, but it also helps our Covid task force to be able to get a better idea of the percentage of our campus community that is vaccinated. That information will help with our decision making through the academic year for our Covid task force,” said Lux.

Lux said that people entered in the contest who were originally unvaccinated can update their vaccination status so that they’ll be eligible to win those prizes.