Get Your Shot: U of A offers prizes to vaccinated students

Graduate Students' Association VP Academic Kathy Haddadkar (left), University of Alberta Students' Union President Rowan Ley (centre) and Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Alberta Bill Flanagan. Aug. 25, 2021. (Source: Daria Nordell/University of Alberta Students' Union)

EDMONTON — Students attending the upcoming fall semester at the University of Alberta are being rewarded for receiving their COVID-19 vaccination by being entered to win a variety of prizes.

The Get Your Shot contest, announced by the University of Alberta Students’ Union, will allow undergraduate and graduate students over the age of 18 who have received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine to enter.

The prizes include 10 free arts tuition prizes for the fall semester as well as two full-year graduate thesis-based tuition prizes. A number of other prizes will also be announced in the future.

Rowan Ley, the Students’ Union President at the University of Alberta, told CTV Edmonton that there are no losers in this contest.

“Even if you don’t win one of our prize packs, you’ve still done your part to make our community safer and get us all back to the in-person classes that we want and I think that’s enough of a win in itself.”

Students can enter themselves into the draw starting on Aug. 27. The last day to enter is Sept. 10 at noon. Students must have received at least one dose of the vaccine by Sept. 10 to qualify.

On-site vaccination will also be provided at the university. Mass clinics will be held on Aug. 31, Sept. 1-2 and Sept. 7-8.

The clinics are free and available for drop-in service. Locations will be announced by the university.

University Health Centre is also booking vaccination appointments for the Moderna vaccine online.

“We want to make sure that we’re offering people the incentive and the opportunity to be vaccinated so at this point there’s no excuses,” Ley noted.

The University of Alberta Students’ Union was joined by the University of Alberta, the Graduate Students’ Association, and the Alumni Association in providing support and prizes for the contest.