November Vaccination Lottery winners announced

December 21, 2021

SAULT STE. MARIE — November winners have been announced for Sault Tribe’s COVID-19 Rescue Act Vaccination Lottery. Three team member drawings and three tribal member drawings were by held, each winner receiving $5,000, for a total of $30,000 in November vaccination lottery prizes. 

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Board of Directors established a COVID-19 Rescue Act Vaccination Lottery, which will be held every month through April 2022, to encourage tribal members and team members to get vaccinated to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.   

November tribal member lottery winners were Keith Landreville, Jesse Rhom and Courtney Zudell. 

Zudell is from Otter Lake, Mich., a small village half in lower Michigan. “I am so thankful for winning the money before Christmas,” she said. “I have three kids ranging from 1-and-a-half to 9 years old and this will help me make their Christmas everything they deserve. I’ve never won anything like this so I am beyond grateful.” 

Zudell said it wasn’t difficult to get a vaccine despite living “in the middle of nowhere.” She said, “I work in the medical field so luckily it wasn’t hard. I had to drive about 30 minutes to get the appointment but since I live in the middle of nowhere, everywhere is about a 25-30 minute drive.”

Landreville, of New Hope, Minn., said it “was an awesome surprise to be one of the lucky vaccination lottery winners.” He added, “I might be spending a little extra for the family members on the nice list this year.” 

Rhom is from Cullman, Ala. “I believe it’s an absolute blessing to have received this lottery, especially around the holiday season,” he said. “While the primary purpose of the vaccine is to protect yourself and others from COVID, I feel that the lottery can be helpful to provide an additional incentive to become vaccinated.” 

Team members winning the $5,000 vaccination lottery for November were Susan Snyder, Jessica Marble and Richard Dill, front desk worker at the Kewadin Casino Hotel in the Sault. 

Marble, a Radiologist at the Sault Tribe Health Center, said she was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Random Acts of kindness are on the way,” she said. “Thank you and Merry Christmas to all!” 

To enter the vaccination lottery, participants must complete and submit only one entry form on the tribe’s website, saulttribe.com. Eligible participants will automatically qualify for the next month’s drawings if they did not win during the prior month.  

To be eligible to participate in the lottery, tribal members and team members must be 18 and older as of the entry date. Drawing winners must provide proof they received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccination as of the date the entry form was submitted. Tribal member drawing winners must submit proof of their enrollment in the tribe as of their entry form submission date and winning date. Team member drawing winners must submit proof of their employment with the tribe as of their entry form submission date and winning date.   

Tribal members who are also team members are eligible to enter both drawing categories and are eligible to win up to one prize from each drawing category. All other eligible participants may win only once.  

The vaccination lottery drawing is being administered by the independent third-party accounting firm, Dennis, Gartland & Niergarth. To view the complete vaccination lottery rules and complete the lottery entry form, please go to https://fs29.formsite.com/SaultT/bpxrit2ewm/index.html beginning Nov. 5.  

The vaccination lottery program is funded with the tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act state and local fiscal recovery funds and other federally approved vaccination funding received by the tribe.