Lorain County student wins full-ride scholarship in third Vax-a-Million drawing

(Mike DeWine/Twitter)

By Collin Cunningham

(SHEFFIELD LAKE, Ohio) A Cleveland-area resident won Ohio's Vax-A-Million lottery for the third week in a row after the Ohio Lottery announced on Wednesday evening that Lorain County's Sara Afaneh is the recipient of the most recent full-ride scholarship prize.

While Gov. Mike DeWine and the state lottery organization did not announce Afaneh's age or school district, Cleveland.com reported that the Sheffield Lake resident will be able to attend any state college or university of her choice once she graduates.

Farther to the south, between Cleveland and Akron, 64-year-old Union County resident Mark Cline received a direct visit from the governor, informing him that he had won $1 million through the same drawing.

“We were watching the television, the doorbell rang, and my wife looked on the Ring cam and said ‘there’s some guys out there in suits,’” Cline told interviewers after his visitors had left, per WLWT.

Upon arriving at the house, Cline said his wife invited DeWine and his wife, Fran, inside to watch the remainder of the vaccine lottery broadcast. The Richwood resident also told interviewers that he doesn't have specific plans for how he will spend the money, but wants to use some of it on his family and donate other portions to charity.

“My family is already making plans for a beach vacation. (I’ll use the money) to just help out family. I’m retired, so – you know – I’m not dying for money, but it certainly is a life-changer. It can help others who kind of need something,” he explained.

DeWine announced drawings for both the money prize and the scholarships back in May as an incentive to get as many of the state's residents vaccinated against COVID-19 as possible as school districts prepare to let out for the summer. Vaccinated residents aged 12-17 can apply for the scholarship portion, while those over 18 can register for the $1 million raffle.

Two other drawings have taken place thus far, with the following winners taking home scholarships and large amounts of money:

• Toledo resident Jonathan Carlyle won the June 2 drawing for $1 million.
• 17-year-old Mayfield Village resident Zoie Vincent won the June 2 drawing for the full ride scholarship.
• 22-year-old Shaker Heights resident Abbigail Bugenske won the first drawing on May 26 for $1 million.
• 14-year-old Englewood resident Joseph Costello won the first scholarship during the May 26 drawing.

The winners of the last two drawings will be announced on June 16 and 23. Any vaccinated resident who hasn't yet registered for the contest can do so at ohiovaxamillion.com. Cleveland.com reported that the entry pool is widening, with 5.4 million Ohioans having received the shot.

President Joe Biden has stated that it's his goal to get at least one dose of vaccine into the army of 70% of Americans prior to the Fourth of July, but The Guardian reported on Wednesday that variant strains of the coronavirus will make it difficult to reach that milestone. The biggest factor is the Delta variant, which the publication states is spreading in the U.S. after originating in India.

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