Photo caption: UW-Eau Claire students who are fully vaccinated and upload their vaccination cards to an e-form are eligible for Vax Game 2021.
Students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to win thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes, including Apple watches and iPads.
UW-Eau Claire and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation are providing about $140,000 for Vax Game 2021 to encourage students to be vaccinated. Students enrolled at all three campuses in Eau Claire, Rice Lake and Marshfield are eligible for the giveaway that begins Monday, Aug. 2.
A survey of UW-Eau Claire students at the end of spring semester indicated that about 40% of the more than 10,000 students on the Eau Claire campus had received a vaccine. That number included students who graduated in May.
UW-Eau Claire Student Senate president Jaden Mikoulinskii encourages all students to get vaccinated, regardless of political affiliation or beliefs.
“If we are unable to vaccinate our student population, we could very well miss yet another Homecoming, Viennese Ball or academic semester,” Mikoulinskii says. “If not for preserving safety, the Blugold experience or just for the greater good, get vaccinated for your friends and family. Encourage those around you to get vaccinated, as this is the best way to protect our community. Getting vaccinated has never been easier; you can do so quickly and easily right on campus.”
Grace Crickette, UW-Eau Claire vice chancellor for finance and administration, says students did an “amazing job” responding to the pandemic during the 2020-21 academic year by testing regularly for COVID-19 and following proper infectious disease control practices.
“I have no doubt that with vaccinations regularly available that students will return to campus either fully vaccinated or ready to take advantage of on-campus vaccination,” Crickette says.
Students who are fully vaccinated and upload their vaccination cards to an e-form are immediately eligible for Vax Game 2021.
The UW-Eau Claire Foundation is providing $40,000 for weekly prize drawings that begin Aug. 2 and will continue for eight weeks.
“The UW-Eau Claire Foundation is pleased to partner with the university on supporting the effort to increase the number of our students who are vaccinated,” says Kimera Way, president of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. “Our collective goal of establishing the safest possible environment for our students to succeed during the 2021-22 academic year is exactly the type of initiative the Foundation seeks to support. If we can motivate more students to get vaccinated, then we all benefit.”
UW-Eau Claire is providing $100,000 from its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund for student scholarships and funding for student organizations that have a high rate of vaccinations among its membership.
UW-Eau Claire will award $200 to each student organization with at least 10 students that has 70% of its members vaccinated.
Once 70% of UW-Eau Claire students have uploaded their vaccination cards for the game, all students entered into Vax Game 2021 will be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship. A total of 50 scholarships will be given away.
The $1,000 scholarships will apply to the spring 2022 semester; December graduates can apply the scholarship to the fall 2021 semester.
Students are eligible to win one weekly prize and one grand prize.
UW-Eau Claire faculty and staff are not eligible to participate in the game.
All vaccinated students also are eligible to participate in the UW System’s 70-for-70 campaign.
