DENVER | An Aurora woman who gave birth to her fourth child two weeks ago is the fifth and final winner of Colorado’s $1 million Comeback Cash Vaccine Drawing.
Heidi Russell was presented with the check Wednesday by Gov. Jared Polis at a news conference about the state of the pandemic.
Russell said that she and her husband moved to Colorado seven years ago to start her husband’s oral and facial surgery business, where they both work. Her husband was able to get vaccinated in December because of his work, and she got vaccinated in February.
“We are just very grateful for the brilliant minds of scientists, researchers, manufacturers and government leaders that have enabled this vaccine to come to fruition,” she said. “To create a safe and effective vaccine in less than a year is a miracle.”
Raising three school-aged kids during the pandemic was not easy, she said, and she is grateful that the normalcy brought back by the vaccine will enable them to go to school in person this fall.
The money will go towards paying off her student loans and saving money for her kid’s education.
Five students were also given $50,000 scholarships that will go to their college education.
Polis encouraged people to keep getting vaccinated, saying that a price can’t be put on the protection it provides.
“Everyone that gets vaccinated is a winner,” he said.
Colorado is among the states that reached President Biden’s goal of having 70% of its adult population vaccinated by Independence Day. In the 12 to 17 age range, the vaccination rate is 42.8%, Polis said.
The state is now focused on increasing its vaccination rate from 70% to 80% and boosting its rates among young people.
The more transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus is currently surging in Colorado, particularly in parts of the state where vaccination rates are lower. Polis emphasized that the best defense is to get vaccinated.
“We see a much higher rate of COVID-19 in the areas of our state with lower vaccination rates,” he said.