By Tom Hanks

Buckeyes have a big chance to win big bucks for getting vaccinated.

In an effort to boost its’ vaccination program, Ohio State is now offering $50,000 worth of prizes to students, faculty and staff who have been vaccinated for COVID-19, University President Kristina M. Johnson announced in an email Friday afternoon.

Ohio State will award $50,000 in gift cards, football tickets and annual parking passes to students, faculty and staff who have received their COVID-19 vaccine and have reported it to the university, with drawings beginning the week of Aug. 2.

No tuition, donor or tax money is being used to fund the giveaway.

In order to be eligible for these prizes, students must report their vaccination status on My BuckMD, while faculty and staff must fill out a separate form, Johnson said. Contest rules and information on how to sign up will be released before the first drawing.

“We know that 65% of returning students, faculty and staff are vaccinated, and the number is rising as more people share their information,” Johnson said. The Columbus campus maintained an extremely low positivity rate, ending the spring semester with a 0.41% positivity rate.

However, Ohio’s vaccination rate lags in the Black and Latinx communities, with only 34% of Black Ohioans having received the jab and only 40% of Hispanic Ohioans having been vaccinated, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Ohio State will not require students, faculty or staff to be vaccinated, but encourages it, according to the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.

Ohio State currently administers the COVID-19 vaccine at four sites across Columbus: CarePoint East – 543 Taylor Ave., OSU Physicians in Upper Arlington – 1800 Zollinger Rd., McCampbell Hall – 1581 Dodd Dr. and Jesse Owens North Recreation Center – 2151 Neil Ave.

Those who would like to be vaccinated, but have not been able to, can call 1-800-232-0233 or click here to find a site near them.