By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitkans will have a shot at winning prizes this month by attending vaccination clinics.
Unvaccinated Sitkans will receive $50 when they attend a clinic, Sitka Chamber of Commerce Director Rachel Roy told the Sentinel today.
For those already vaccinated, bringing in a friend and showing their own vaccination cards will get them entered in a $1,000 weekly drawing for a local shopping spree.
“We’ll have a list of businesses people will be able to choose, from groceries to fuel,” Roy said, adding that “the odds are pretty good” for those wanting to win the $1,000.
Maddie Tebbe, convention and event development fellow with Visit Sitka, holds up a poster advertising the Sitka Chamber of Commerce’s vaccination campaign, today at the Visit Sitka office. (Sentinel Photo)
And Roy said those who are vaccinated aren’t limited to bringing in a friend – vaccinated parents can enter into the drawing when they accompany their unvaccinated children ages 12 and up to the clinic.
The prizes will be distributed at clinics held Monday, June 14, through Wednesday, June 30. The Chamber is partnering with both Harry Race Pharmacy and SEARHC, and Chamber representatives will be present at the clinics of both organizations. That means those attending either clinic will be eligible for the program’s prizes.
The award program is funded by a $45,000 grant the Sitka Chamber received through the Alaska Chamber of Commerce. The money can be spent on anything except vehicles, firearms, and alcohol, as per guidelines set by the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services.
Roy said she’s pleased to see the money go into Sitka’s retail industry.
“I’m excited about the shopping sprees,” she said. “I think that’ll be really fun.”
The amount of money received was determined by Sitka’s vaccination rate. Roy said data show that about a third of unvaccinated Sitkans just haven’t gotten around to attending a clinic yet.
“Let’s just get everyone who wants to be vaccinated through these clinics in the next couple weeks,” she said.
Vaccine clinic appointments can be made by visiting covid19.searhc.org, or sitkapharmacies.com/covid19.
