DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — One man has won $10,000 for getting his COVID-19 vaccine. It’s part of his company’s unique approach to getting more employees vaccinated.
ALSCO, a linen and uniform rental company, launched its “Vax to the Future” lottery to encourage its workers to get vaccinated, and on Wednesday morning, one of its employees, Brock Dove, was named the winner of $10,000.
“What are you gonna do with that money?” asked Action News Jax reporter Jessica Barreto.
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“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m still kind of shocked that I won,” he added.
Before all this, Dove was on the fence about the shot.
“I was thinking about it,” Dove said.
So, ALSCO partnered with Panama Pharmacy to bring pharmacists in to answer any concerns one-on-one, and bring the vaccine to workers directly.
“It was really important for associates to find someone they could trust,” HR Manager Karen Young said.
Those education efforts, combined with this lottery incentive, have helped tip the scale.
“The lottery really made a difference,” Young said. “That brought us up.”
Before this lottery, the Jacksonville ALSCO facility’s vaccination rates were at about 32%.
After the lottery, those numbers have more than doubled, and the vaccination rate is now at 86%.
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Dove, whose job consists of sorting linens and uniforms, is helping sort out misinformation about the vaccine too, by educating others.
“I always tell everybody about it,” he pointed out. “[The vaccine] is important, to save your lives.”
On Wednesday, he was recognized for the difference he’s making.
“I’m feeling real good,” he said.
“My heart’s going a thousand miles a minute,” Young said. “It’s just great. It’s great to see our employees get awarded and recognized for their hard work.”