Windsor woman stunned after winning minivan for getting COVID-19 vaccine

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19had an added benefitfor Kathleen Stasso, who walked out her front door in Windsor onMonday to see a new Chrysler Pacificahybridin the driveway.

Stasso was shocked as she was presented with the Windsor-made minivan thegrand prizeinthe WEVax To Win contest byWindsorMayor Drew Dilkens.

"Oh my God. You've gotta be kidding me," she said.

WATCH | Top-prize winner opens her front door to a brand new minivan:

'I was not expecting a prize like this,' says Windsor woman after winning minivan

3 years ago

Duration 1:57

Kathleen Stasso was surprised with a new Chrysler Pacifica hybrid Monday morning. Stasso was the top winner in the Windsor-Essex WEVax To Win contest.

Prior to the Publishers Clearinghouse-style giveaway, Stassohad beencontacted by the city to provide confirmation of her vaccinationbut was not told what prize she had won in the random draw.

"I was not expecting a prize like this," she said.

The lottery was launched by the city and Essex County on Sept. 1in order to boost lagging COVID-19 vaccination rates. Anyone who is vaccinated was eligible to enter, and more than66,000 people signed up.

Dilkenssaid he was happy for Stasso and noted that she had been encouraging everyone she knows to get vaccinated.

"The look on her face was something I'll remember forever," Dilkens said.

There were just under 100 winners who shared in more than $200,000 in prizes, according to the WEVax To Win website. Those prizes includedproperty tax and rental fee breaks, paid undergraduate post-secondary tuition, staycation packages and gaming consoles.

Campaign 'helped to amplify the message'

So far,86per cent of all Ontario residents 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In Windsor-Essex, the rate remains a bit lower, at 83.1 per cent fully vaccinated, though86.6 per cent of those 12 and older have gotten at least one dose.

Nicole Dupuis, CEO of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said she feels the WEVax campaign was a success, though it's hard to know preciselyhow much of an impact it had on vaccine uptake.

"We can't pinpoint an increase ... ofvaccination fromanyone specific effort but certainly the WEVax campaign helped to amplify the message. It helped to simply information to one source," she said at a virtual media briefing on Monday.