ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando leaders are raising the stakes in the hopes of getting more people vaccinated by offering tickets to some of the city’s biggest events.
Starting Thursday, anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot at select mobile sites can enter into a raffle.
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Winners will have the chance to win tickets to shows like Jimmy Buffet at the Amway Center; J Cole, and Steely Dan at the Dr. Phillips Center; and college football games, including the Cheez-it Bowl and Florida Blue Florida Classic.
“As this surge has come on us, we need to encourage those who are not vaccinated, to get vaccinated,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.
The mayor is asking everyone who is vaccinated to talk to their friends and family who haven’t.
“I urge you, if you have been vaccinated, talk to people that haven’t,” he said. “Tell them why you did get vaccinated and how important it is.”
The raffle is free, but all participants must bring a government-issued photo ID.
Winners will be selected at random at 10 a.m. on Aug. 30 at Orlando City Hall.
Quivonce Felix was among those who entered the vaccine ticket raffle Thursday during the event at Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center.
“Anything that we can do to help and getting the vaccine seems like a part of that, so I’m happy to do it,” Felix said.
The mobile sites and raffle support Orlando’s “Fill the Orange” campaign, which aims to encourage all Orange County residents to get vaccinated.
Here is the schedule for the vaccine raffle events:
- Thursday, August 19 - Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Sunday, August 22 - Ana G. Mendez University 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 24 - Camping World Stadium 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, August 26 – Orlando City Hall 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A full list of raffle ticket items can be found at Orlando.gov/FilltheOrange.