Ohio's Vax-a-Million campaign began a month ago with the hopes of encouraging more residents to get their COVID-19 shots and bringing the state's vaccination rate up to 70%. With only one drawing left, Ohio is still short of that goal.

"The first two weeks were phenomenal," said Gov. Mike DeWine during a Thursday news conference with the fourth week's winners. "It's certainly leveled off. That's pretty much what we would've expected. We expected the real impact to come quickly. The first week, big big, the second week big, then tail off from there."

DeWine said the Ohio Department of Health recorded a 28% increase in vaccinations the weekend after he announced the Vax-a-Million lottery, which each week for five weeks awards $1 million to one vaccinated adult and a full-ride scholarship at any state university to one vaccinated person under 18. Winners in Southwest Ohio have included a woman from Silverton, who snagged $1 million the first week, and a Colerain High grad who won Thursday's scholarship.

On May 13, more than 26,000 Ohioans began their vaccination process. That number dropped by Thursday to a little more than 2,000 people per day beginning their regimen.

Hamilton County Public Health noticed the initial spike.

"It was a nice increase, not nearly as big as we had hoped," said Mike Samet, public information officer for the health agency. "Of course, we want to get everybody vaccinated. We wanted to get to that 70 or 80% by July 4, but we'll take any increases we can get at this point."

In Clermont County, Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit said she saw declining vaccination numbers before the lottery was announced. At a local level, health workers are still trying to reach communities.

"We have had the goal of partnering with some of our businesses who have offered some incentives," she said. "It's coupons, free movie tickets. We've partnered with RJ Cinemas on it, Little Miami Brewery. We've also partnered with Starlight Drive-In, who's given away some free movie passes out there. So, just trying to look at how we can incentivize."

DeWine said Thursday that President Joe Biden's administration's primary focus is reaching out to the 18-and-older population, which, in Ohio, had a 57% vaccination rate as of Thursday afternoon.

"We have a ways to go, and we're not done yet," DeWine said.

The governor said he has planned future announcements for new incentive programs to encourage more Ohioans to get vaccinated.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

The state prepared to announce the fourth pair of Ohio Vax-a-Million winners Wednesday evening even as the bump from the incentive program fades and vaccination numbers remain stagnant.

More than 3.4 million Ohioans entered their names for a shot at the $1 million, up a little from the 3.3 million who had registered for last week’s drawing. More than 150,000 children age 12-17 entered their names for the scholarship, up from just over 133,000 last week.

The state will name the winners at the end of the Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion TV show.

WATCH LIVE AT 7:29 P.M. ON WLWT.COM ON ON AIR

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the incentive program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week. But numbers of vaccinations have dropped since then.

About 5.5 million people in Ohio have received at least one shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, or about 47% of the population. About 4.9 million people, or 42% of the population, have completed the process.

Earlier this month DeWine warned about 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were set to expire on June 23, but the Food and Drug Administration last week extended the expiration date by six weeks.

Below are the first six Ohio Vax-a-Million winners:

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MARK CLINE, OF RICHWOOD TOLEDO: Ohio's THIRD $1 million winner

A 64-year-old retiree is Ohio's latest $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.

Mark Cline, of Richwood, was announced Wednesday as the third of five $1 million winners in Ohio's vaccine lottery.

Cline said he didn't receive a phone call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, which has been customary during the first two drawings.

Instead, Cline said the governor showed up at his doorstep to tell him -- in person -- that he was the latest winner in Ohio's vaccination incentive program.

“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 said through a massive smile in an interview with WBNS.

“I go to the door, I opened it up and I recognized Gov. DeWine standing out there," he said. “I shook his hand and he said, ‘Well, congratulations. You just won a million dollars.’”

The 64-year-old said he and his wife invited the governor and First Lady Fran DeWine into their living room, where they all watched the television broadcast of the vaccine lottery together.

Cline said he received his COVID-19 vaccine at the Union County Fair Ground long before the Vax-a-Million lottery was thought up. He said it's important for everyone to get their vaccine.

“I think it’s really important to get that vaccine. Everyone that doubts it, it was no big deal – two little pinches and it was done," he said.

Cline retired in 2016 after working for Marathon Petroleum for over 20 years. He moved from Findlay to Richwood to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

As to what Cline has planned for the money? He said he has very few plans for himself, but he hopes to spend the money on his family and, perhaps, charitable causes.

“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 said.

“I really love that they were giving scholarships as part of this. So I might do something to put some money toward scholarships for kids.”

Cline said he has a rather large family and hopes to spend as much time with them as possible.

"I'm happy," he said. "I'm so happy!"

---

Sara Afaneh, SHEFFIELD LAKE: Ohio's third scholarship winner

Sara Afaneh, of Sheffield Lake, was announced as Ohio's third full-ride-scholarship winner in the Vax-a-Million program. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.

The 13 going on 14-year-old said her mom was the one that told her she had won the scholarship lottery.

"It was very exciting, surreal for sure," Sara's mom, Summer, said in a press conference Thursday with DeWine.

The youngest winner so far, Sara said while she's thought about going to college but hasn't really looked into a university or area of study.

Her mother said while Sara's 17-year-old sister was a little envious, she told them that whatever helps Sara will help the whole family as well.

Summer said more than anything, they were grateful to be eligible for the vaccine and for the opportunity to enter. She said her husband and father-in-law came down with COVID-19 and were very sick so they did not hesitate to get the vaccine when it came out.

"I'm a nurse, so I've seen the damage COVID has done," Summer said. "So for me, it was a no-brainer, as soon as they were eligible, we signed them up and took them in."

More than 3.3 million Ohioans entered their names for a shot at the $1 million, up a little from the 3.2 million who had registered for last week’s drawing. More than 143,000 children entered their names for the scholarship, up from just over 133,000 last week.

“There are only two more drawings left, so I urge Ohioans to get the shot and then enter for a shot to win a million dollars or, for those aged 12-17 a chance to a four-year, full-ride scholarship including room, board, tuition and books at an Ohio public college or university,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

Wednesday's announcement comes as the initial bump from the incentive program fades and the vaccination numbers continue dropping.

Initially, DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the incentive program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week.

Ohio figures still are not close to the highs of March and April. And vaccine reluctance appears to be so great that on Monday, DeWine made an urgent appeal to providers to distribute as many shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as possible, with 200,000 doses set to expire June 23.

The two winners announced Wednesday are the fifth and sixth winners of the vaccination lottery. Meet the first four winners of Ohio's Vax-a-Million sweepstakes below.

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JONATHAN CARLYLE, OF TOLEDO: Ohio's second $1 million winner

An Amazon delivery driver is Ohio's second $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.

Jonathan Carlyle, of Toledo, is the second Ohioan to win the state's vaccination incentive grand prize.

The state's newest millionaire is an Amazon delivery driver. Carlyle said he was just getting off work around 7 p.m. when he received a call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

"I actually missed the call," Carlyle said. "I was checking out from work and had to call him back. But I was shaking when I talked to him when I heard his voicemail -- I knew what it was and about lost it."

The governor said he plans to make a habit of calling the state's Vax-a-Million winners ahead of each Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing.

“It’s overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I’m still dreaming," Carlyle said of that call.

The Toledo man said he doesn't have any big plans for his new money -- first pay off bills, then, perhaps, a house.

"I got a lot of bills to pay – so that’s the first thing that’s going to happen,” he said through a massive smile.

“Pay some bills and probably buy a house. I’m going to keep working. My girlfriend is going to keep working – it’s going to be a good bedrock for our family. It’s going to be awesome.”

Carlyle said the state's Vax-a-Million drawing actually inspired him to finally get the COVID-19 vaccine. After winning $1 million, he said it was well worth it.

"Get vaccinated! Do it! We need to!" he said.

---

ZOIE VINCENT, MAYFIELD VILLAGE: Ohio's second scholarship winner

Ohio's latest winner of the Vax-a-Million scholarship said she wasn't expecting the call Wednesday after signing up for the lottery while waiting to receive her second dose of the vaccine.

Zoie Vincent was announced as Ohio's full-ride scholarship winner. Vincent was out of town at the time of the drawing but found out about her luck via a FaceTime call from the governor.

"So you made a call to my dad and it was just kind of ... weird and he just kept saying your name and I was like, 'What's happening?' And he said I won the scholarship," Vincent said.

"It was really wild. It came out of nowhere. We weren't expecting it. It was a super big surprise. We were all so excited."

Vincent said she is interested in pursuing a career in medicine, specifically pre-med or a biology program. She said she has been looking at schools such as Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University.

"I have been interested in medicine and science for as long as I can remember," Vincent said.

She said she has completed one year as a med tech at school and it helped solidify her passion for science. She said the scholarship will help her focus on her education in medicine and not student loans.

"I could see my career instead of me paying off my debt so it was a big relief in that sense," Vincent said.

Vincent said she did not hesitate once she was eligible for the vaccine, saying she got COVID-19 a while back and was very sick and wants to do what she can to prevent that from happening to others.

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ABBIGAIL BUGENSKE, SILVERTON: Ohio's first $1 million winner

Abbigail Bugenske has won Ohio's first $1 million jackpot in the state's Vax-a-Million lottery.

A recent college graduate, the 22-year-old Bugenske lives in the Cincinnati area, residing in the small and quiet village of Silverton about 11 miles northeast of the city.

She works for GE Aviation, recently moving to the area for her job.

She's also an Ohio State University student pursuing a master's in aerospace engineering and graduated from Michigan State University in August of last year.

Speaking to the press for the first time, Bugenske said she has no plans to quit her current job — a job she loves — and plans to donate at least some of her winnings to charity.

“I was completely surprised when I got the call. I still can’t believe it. It was a crazy night," the 22-year-old said.

Bugenske received a personal call from Gov. Mike DeWine, shortly before the state's 7:29 p.m. drawing.

“Calling someone and telling them that they won a million dollars is a great thing," the governor said through a large smile, remembering Bugenske's reaction.

She was driving from the Cincinnati area to her parents' house in the Cleveland area, a bit oblivious that the drawing was currently happening.

“I was screaming enough that my parents thought I was crying and that something was wrong," she said. "And when I started yelling that I won $1 million and was going to be a millionaire, they told me to calm down and make sure it wasn’t a prank before I really started freaking out.”

The call was, in fact, real. Bugenske said her phone began to blow up with notes from friends and social media friend requests.

The 22-year-old said she received the COVID-19 vaccine long before the birth of the Vax-a-Million program, but added that if winning $1 million isn't an incentive enough, she doesn't know what is.

“I originally got vaccinated just to protect friends, family and everyone I came in contact with,” she said, adding that Vax-a-Million win was just a bonus.

---

JOSEPH COSTELLO, ENGLEWOOD: Ohio's first scholarship winner

He’s only 14, but can attend almost any college he wishes.

Joseph Costello, of Englewood, was announced as Ohio's first Vax-a-Million scholarship winner, awarded a full-ride scholarship at only 14 years old.

His mother is a chemical engineer and his father is a school teacher. But neither of them will need to figure out how to pay for Joseph's college.

“My first reaction was I thought maybe I was listening to your voice -- that it was a taped message," mother Colleen Costello told Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine. "The more we talked, the more I realized it was really live. I was really thankful that moment because there was a bench nearby. I needed to sit down and sort of ... ground myself a little to absorb the information you were sharing.”

Joseph had just finished the eighth grade. He just received his first shot on Saturday ahead of Wednesday evening's drawing.

His mother entered Joseph and her two other children in the lottery.

Now, he gets free college tuition. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.

In a big update, DeWine announced that the state will put money into a 529 Plan for the winner. The amount of money put in will be equal to the highest Ohio state university cost. That way, the winner can still go to a college of his or her choosing.

Joseph said he's still unsure what he wants to study, or which university he wishes to attend. But the 14-year-old still has time to think about that.

---

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Ohio's third Vax-a-Million winners were revealed Wednesday evening.

During a highly-anticipated drawing, Ohio Lottery officials announced that the following individuals won Ohio's vaccine lottery -- the third of five total drawings:

WINNING THE $1 MILLION PRIZE:

Mark Cline, Richwood (Union County)

WINNING THE FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIP:

Sara Afaneh, Sheffield Lake (Lorain County)

A 64-year-old retiree is Ohio's latest $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.

Mark Cline, of Richwood, was announced Wednesday as the third of five $1 million winners in Ohio's vaccine lottery.

Cline said he didn't receive a phone call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, which has been customary during the first two drawings.

Instead, Cline said the governor showed up at his doorstep to tell him -- in person -- that he was the latest winner in Ohio's vaccination incentive program.

“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 said through a massive smile in an interview with WBNS.

“I go to the door, I opened it up and I recognized Gov. DeWine standing out there," he said. “I shook his hand and he said, ‘well, congratulations. You just won a million dollars.’”

The 64-year-old said he and his wife invited the governor and First Lady Fran DeWine into their living room, where they all watched the television broadcast of the vaccine lottery together.

Cline said he received his COVID-19 vaccine at the Union County Fair Ground long before the Vax-a-Million lottery was thought up. He said it's important for everyone to get their vaccine.

“I think it’s really important to get that vaccine. Everyone that doubts it, it was no big deal – two little pinches and it was done," he said.

As to what Cline has planned for the money? He said he has very few plans for himself, but he hopes to spend the money on his family and, perhaps, charitable causes.

“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 said.

“I really love that they were giving scholarships as part of this. So I might do something to put some money toward scholarships for kids.”

Cline said he has a rather large family and hopes to spend as much time with them as possible.

"I'm happy," he said. "I'm so happy!"

Sara Afaneh, of Sheffield Lake, was announced as Ohio's third full-ride-scholarship winner in the Vax-a-Million program.

WLWT is working to learn more about her and will update this story as details develop.

“There are only two more drawings left, so I urge Ohioans to get the shot and then enter for a shot to win a million dollars or, for those aged 12-17 a chance to a four-year, full-ride scholarship including room, board, tuition and books at an Ohio public college or university,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

Wednesday's announcement comes as the initial bump from the incentive program fades and the vaccination numbers continue dropping.

More than 3.3 million Ohioans entered their names for a shot at the $1 million, up a little from the 3.2 million who had registered for last week’s drawing. More than 143,000 children entered their names for the scholarship, up from just over 133,000 last week.

Initially, Gov. DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the incentive program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week.

Ohio figures still are not close to the highs of March and April. And vaccine reluctance appears to be so great that on Monday, DeWine made an urgent appeal to providers to distribute as many shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as possible, with 200,000 doses set to expire June 23.

The two winners announced Wednesday are the fifth and sixth winners of the vaccination lottery. Meet the first four winners of Ohio's Vax-a-Million sweepstakes below.

---

JONATHAN CARLYLE, OF TOLEDO: Ohio's second $1 million winner

An Amazon delivery driver is Ohio's second $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.

Jonathan Carlyle, of Toledo, is the second Ohioan to win the state's vaccination incentive grand prize.

The state's newest millionaire is an Amazon delivery driver. Carlyle said he was just getting off work around 7 p.m. when he received a call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

"I actually missed the call," Carlyle said. "I was checking out from work and had to call him back. But I was shaking when I talked to him when I heard his voicemail -- I knew what it was and about lost it."

The governor said he plans to make a habit of calling the state's Vax-a-Million winners ahead of each Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing.

“It’s overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I’m still dreaming," Carlyle said of that call.

The Toledo man said he doesn't have any big plans for his new money -- first pay off bills, then, perhaps, a house.

"I got a lot of bills to pay – so that’s the first thing that’s going to happen,” he said through a massive smile.

“Pay some bills and probably buy a house. I’m going to keep working. My girlfriend is going to keep working – it’s going to be a good bedrock for our family. It’s going to be awesome.”

Carlyle said the state's Vax-a-Million drawing actually inspired him to finally get the COVID-19 vaccine. After winning $1 million, he said it was well worth it.

"Get vaccinated! Do it! We need to!" he said.

---

ZOIE VINCENT, MAYFIELD VILLAGE: Ohio's second scholarship winner

Ohio's latest winner of the Vax-a-Million scholarship said she wasn't expecting the call Wednesday after signing up for the lottery while waiting to receive her second dose of the vaccine.

Zoie Vincent was announced as Ohio's full-ride scholarship winner. Vincent was out of town at the time of the drawing but found out about her luck via a FaceTime call from the governor.

"So you made a call to my dad and it was just kind of ... weird and he just kept saying your name and I was like, 'What's happening?' And he said I won the scholarship," Vincent said.

"It was really wild. It came out of nowhere. We weren't expecting it. It was a super big surprise. We were all so excited."

Vincent said she is interested in pursuing a career in medicine, specifically pre-med or a biology program. She said she has been looking at schools such as Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University.

"I have been interested in medicine and science for as long as I can remember," Vincent said.

She said she has completed one year as a med tech at school and it helped solidify her passion for science. She said the scholarship will help her focus on her education in medicine and not student loans.

"I could see my career instead of me paying off my debt so it was a big relief in that sense," Vincent said.

Vincent said she did not hesitate once she was eligible for the vaccine, saying she got COVID-19 a while back and was very sick and wants to do what she can to prevent that from happening to others.

---

ABBIGAIL BUGENSKE, SILVERTON: Ohio's first $1 million winner

Abbigail Bugenske has won Ohio's first $1 million jackpot in the state's Vax-a-Million lottery.

A recent college graduate, the 22-year-old Bugenske lives in the Cincinnati area, residing in the small and quiet village of Silverton about 11 miles northeast of the city.

She works for GE Aviation, recently moving to the area for her job.

She's also an Ohio State University student pursuing a master's in aerospace engineering and graduated from Michigan State University in August of last year.

Speaking to the press for the first time, Bugenske said she has no plans to quit her current job — a job she loves — and plans to donate at least some of her winnings to charity.

“I was completely surprised when I got the call. I still can’t believe it. It was a crazy night," the 22-year-old said.

Bugenske received a personal call from Gov. Mike DeWine, shortly before the state's 7:29 p.m. drawing.

“Calling someone and telling them that they won a million dollars is a great thing," the governor said through a large smile, remembering Bugenske's reaction.

She was driving from the Cincinnati area to her parents' house in the Cleveland area, a bit oblivious that the drawing was currently happening.

“I was screaming enough that my parents thought I was crying and that something was wrong," she said. "And when I started yelling that I won $1 million and was going to be a millionaire, they told me to calm down and make sure it wasn’t a prank before I really started freaking out.”

The call was, in fact, real. Bugenske said her phone began to blow up with notes from friends and social media friend requests.

The 22-year-old said she received the COVID-19 vaccine long before the birth of the Vax-a-Million program, but added that if winning $1 million isn't an incentive enough, she doesn't know what is.

“I originally got vaccinated just to protect friends, family and everyone I came in contact with,” she said, adding that Vax-a-Million win was just a bonus.

---

JOSEPH COSTELLO, ENGLEWOOD: Ohio's first scholarship winner

He’s only 14, but can attend almost any college he wishes.

Joseph Costello, of Englewood, was announced as Ohio's first Vax-a-Million scholarship winner, awarded a full-ride scholarship at only 14 years old.

His mother is a chemical engineer and his father is a school teacher. But neither of them will need to figure out how to pay for Joseph's college.

“My first reaction was I thought maybe I was listening to your voice -- that it was a taped message," mother Colleen Costello told Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine. "The more we talked, the more I realized it was really live. I was really thankful that moment because there was a bench nearby. I needed to sit down and sort of ... ground myself a little to absorb the information you were sharing.”

Joseph had just finished the eighth grade. He just received his first shot on Saturday ahead of Wednesday evening's drawing.

His mother entered Joseph and her two other children in the lottery.

Now, he gets free college tuition. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.

In a big update, DeWine announced that the state will put money into a 529 Plan for the winner. The amount of money put in will be equal to the highest Ohio state university cost. That way, the winner can still go to a college of his or her choosing.

Joseph said he's still unsure what he wants to study, or which university he wishes to attend. But the 14-year-old still has time to think about that.

Some people visiting Butler County health clinics on Wednesday got a surprise: $50 gift cards for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We're willing to do whatever we can that's legal and within reason to get people vaccinated so that this pandemic can be behind us,” said health commissioner Jenny Bailer of the Butler County General Health District.

The incentive is for patients on Medicaid, and it’s part of an effort to get more people vaccinated. According to Ohio’s five managed-care providers, people on Medicaid are vaccinated at lower rates than the rest of the population. Bailer said that this type of benefit isn’t easy to offer, so she was glad that the program was able to get off the ground.

"We've kicked around the incentive program in a lot of different ways," Bailer said “There are a lot of barriers to implementing incentives, so we felt really happy that this one came through for us and we were able to do this with Medicaid."

Another major motivation for getting the gift card reward to vaccine recipients was the slowdown in people showing up at vaccine clinics. Bailer said earlier this year Butler County was up to 33 different drive-through clinics; when they put out a call on Facebook, about 2,000 cars would show up. Things are much different now.

"Most of the people who really wanted to get vaccinated have gotten vaccinated,” Bailer said. "So now we're reaching out to those who are a little bit harder to reach, maybe don't have transportation, maybe they're a little hesitant and they want to do a little education and think about it first."

Emily King, a cashier at Dollar Tree, heard about the payout and was happy to have the convenience of a walk-in clinic Wednesday to get her first dose of the vaccine.

"I've been needing to get it for quite some time,” King said. "I thought, 'Well, this is really close to where I live. I might as well get it done.'"

Fifteen-year-old Morgan Sloan was waiting to get the vaccine until she became eligible. She’s said she’s been living with extra caution and still masking and socially distancing herself from others.

“I kind of woke up and my mom said, 'You're getting your vaccine today,' and I said, 'OK, great, let's go,'” she said. “I just feel safer being out in public, being around people."

Kathy Eatmon of CareSource, one of Ohio’s managed care organizations, said in addition to the $50 gift card incentive, people are being assisted in registering for Ohio’s Vax-a-Million drawing. And for added motivation, the $50 gift card isn’t just for the first dose — it can be given for both doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Eatmon said she hopes that word of mouth will help drive more people to show up for the clinics.

"I always tell them to tell a friend,” she said. “If you know a friend who hasn't received that vaccine, go ahead and tell them to come on out today.”

SILVERTON, Ohio —

All eyes were watching in anticipation of the announcement of Ohio's first $1 million Vax-a-Million lottery winner.

Ohio Lottery officials announced the winner at 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and it was Abbigail Bugenske, of Silverton, Ohio.

Silverton is a village in Hamilton County that is about 11 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

"My friend texted me and said, 'oh my goodness, somebody from Silverton just won the Vax-a-Million!" said Colleen Noble of Silverton.

The small, quiet village of Silverton was buzzing with excitement Wednesday night.

"I think that it is really nice that someone in my community won the Vax-a-Million," said Rosie Noble of Silverton.

The $1 million winner lives in the Hamilton County community where only 5,000 people call home.

According to Bugenske's LinkedIn page, she currently works at GE Aviation right here in Cincinnati.

She's also an Ohio State University student pursuing a master's in aerospace engineering and graduated from Michigan State University in August of last year.

Steve Williams has lived in Silverton for more than 30 years.

"I went outside to trim the yard and she came running out and said they won from here. And I thought oh my goodness!" he said.

He never thought someone in Silverton would get lucky.

"Unbelievable. Great for this area," Williams said.

"It's so exciting! I love it. I love it for Silverton because I think we have a great neighborhood," Noble said.

Joseph Costello of Englewood, Ohio, won a full-ride college scholarship in the Vax-a-Million drawing Wednesday.

The winners were selected in a random drawing Monday and had their information confirmed before the formal announcement at the end of the Ohio Lottery’s Cash Explosion TV show.

“We’re excited that this has inspired so many Ohioans to get vaccinated, and we’re thrilled to announce the winners of the first round of drawings,” said Gov. Mike DeWine.

More than 2.7 million adults signed up for the $1 million prize and more than 104,000 children ages 12 to 17 entered the drawing for the college scholarship, which includes tuition, room and board, and books. Four more $1 million and college scholarship winners will be announced each Wednesday for the next four weeks.

DeWine, a Republican, announced the program May 12 to boost lagging vaccination rates.

The Ohio Lottery conducted the first drawing Monday afternoon at its draw studio in Cleveland using a random number generator to pick the winners ahead of time and then confirmed the eligibility of the ultimate winner.

This is merely the first grouping of winners. Four more Wednesday announcements will follow, announcing eight more winners: Four additional $1 million winners, and four more recipients of a full-ride scholarship.

WLWT is working to learn more about the winners and will update this story as details develop.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

The numbers of juveniles getting vaccinated in Ohio is climbing. State leaders say excitement over the state's full-ride scholarship drawings is playing a role in that.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that 104,386 Ohioans between ages 12 and 17 registered for the scholarship drawing. Each is eligible and will have five chances to win a full ride scholarship to any Ohio university, books and room and board included.

The initiative aimed at increasing the number of Ohioans getting a COVID-19 vaccine is part of the state's Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive program.

WLWT visited a vaccine clinic at Felicity Franklin High School Monday afternoon. A few dozen people received their first or second dose of the vaccine at the clinic run by the county health department.

Dakota Luther, a 17-year-old high school junior, received his second shot. Preparing to enter his senior year, discussions about college are becoming more frequent.

The scholarship drawing was not his main motivation in getting vaccinated but is excited by the chance of having his college tuition covered.

Luther said some of his friends are hesitant to be vaccinated, but he thinks it is a no-brainer.

"It's awesome knowing that I won't have to be sick, have the chance of being sick and I have the chance of being normal again," he said. " A lot more reward than the risk... We don't know how long it's going to have to be until you get your next vaccination, but if it's six months, then that's six months you can be worry free."

Jackie Lindner is the vaccination clinic coordinators with Clermont County Public Health.

"That's definitely been a big boost to the numbers that we have seen. We have seen a lot more kids in our clinics," she said referencing the last couple weeks. "I think there were lots of things that collided all together, so the Vax-A-Million probably incentivized some folks to come and get vaccinated. Also, dropping the age group that could get the vaccine made it more widely available to more people."

Since the Vax-A-Million announcement, DeWine said there has been a 94% increase in vaccinations among 16 and 17-year-olds.

"If that works and that's what will bring them in, we're happy to serve them," Lindner said.

Vaccinated Ohioans have only a few more hours to sign up for the state's first Vax-a-Million lottery drawing before registration closes Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

The Ohio Department of Health said millions of vaccinated Ohioans have already signed up for a chance to win a million dollars, or a chance at a college scholarship for applicants under 18. As of Thursday, ODH said it saw a 28% increase in vaccination rates among Ohioans 16 and older since the announcement of the state's Vax-a-Million campaign.

The deadline to be entered for the first of five weekly drawings is Sunday, May 23, at 11:59 p.m. Prizes will be announced on Wednesdays at approximately 7:29 p.m from May 26 to June 23.

“I knew people were going to say, ‘Mike DeWine’s crazy. Mike DeWine has wasted a lot of money,’ but, you know what’s really a waste is if someone gets COVID now when we have a way not to get it,” said Gov. Mike DeWine about the lottery during a visit to Cincinnati Friday.

ODH said you only need to sign up once to be eligible to win one of five drawings -- all duplicate entries will be removed. If selected, the winner will need to provide proof of vaccination in order to receive their prize.

Interested? You can enter your own name at ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling 1-833-427-5634.

Vaccine levels were up in all age groups and exactly 2,758,470 Ohioans had registered for the state’s Vax-a-Million lottery by Monday afternoon, demonstrating what Gov. Mike DeWine called an encouraging level of buy-in for his experimental COVID-19 vaccine incentive.

“All I know is that, when we announced it, we were going down (in vaccine levels) and we had been going down,” he said, adding later: “We made the decision to try this and see what it would do. I’m more than happy — I’m very, very happy with the results.”

Representatives of the lottery, which is open only to vaccinated people over the age of 18 and will award five $1 million prizes over the course of the next five weeks, will draw their first winner Monday and announce that person’s name on Wednesday.

That name will be removed from the pot; all 2,758,469 others will go back in for the next week’s drawing.

A separate drawing for Ohioans under 18, which will award five full scholarships to Ohio colleges of the recipients’ choosing, will follow the same process. DeWine said 104,386 people had entered that contest by Monday afternoon.

According to data collected by the Ohio Department of Health, vaccination has increased 94% among people ages 16 and 17 — the largest demographic increase in Ohio since the lottery’s announcement. The number of Ohioans 20-49 getting the shot has increased by a smaller but still sizable 55%.

ODH reported 566 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, marking the state’s lowest number of new diagnoses since June 21, 2020.

Eighty-eight people were admitted to Ohio hospitals and eight were newly admitted to intensive care units. ODH recorded no COVID-19-related deaths between Sunday and Monday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health reported Thursday a 28% increase in vaccination rates among Ohioans 16 and older since the announcement of the state's Vax-a-Million campaign.

The lottery, which was announced May 13, gives Ohioans 18 and older with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine the chance to win one of five $1 million prizes. Ohioans ages 12-17 with a at least their first dose also have the chance to win one of five full ride scholarships to any state college or university.

MORE: How to opt into Ohio's $1 million vaccination lottery

According to ODH data, vaccinations in people age 16 and older dropped by 25% the weekend of May 7-10 compared to the weekend of April 30 to May 3.

The weekend following the announcement of the lottery, vaccinations rates for the same age group shot up 28%, ODH data shows.

“This dramatic increase in vaccinations indicates that the Vax-a-Million drawing has been impactful in creating momentum for vaccinations throughout Ohio,” said ODH director Stephanie McCloud in a news release. “We are grateful that the drawings are helping spur Ohioans to take this important measure to protect their health, their loved ones, and their community. Vaccines are our best tool to return to the lives we remember from before the pandemic.”

So far, more than 1 million people have entered into the drawing for $1 million, and tens of thousands of teens have entered to win scholarships.

Prizes will be announced on Wednesdays from May 26 to June 23.

All Ohioans age 12 and older are currently eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. To register for an appointment or find walk-in clinics, click here or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

Interested? You can enter your own name at ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling 1-833-427-5634.