Robert Gordon

Patrick Lauzon, grand prize winner in the Get Social About the JabPatrick Lauzon, grand prize winner in the Get Social About the Jab

Big Payoff for Jab Contest Winner Marks Conclusion of Vax Campaign

A third-year mechanical engineering student has won the grand prize of a $3,000 tuition voucher in the Get Social About the Jab to Win contest. The contest was a highlight of the Take a Jab vaccination campaign initiated by the University of Windsor in July. 

 

Winner Patrick Lauzon says he has an autoimmune condition and wanted to protect himself with the vaccine as soon as he could. 

“I also want to play my part in helping to defeat COVID. This has been a thing that has taken people’s lives, hurt people’s businesses, and also hurt people’s social lives.” 

University of Windsor President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Gordon, said the campaign was a broad one with a focus not only on the on-campus community, but extending to the University’s west-end neighbourhood and beyond. 

 

“Because COVID has had such a significant impact on our region we felt it was important to take a leadership role in helping our community increase overall vaccination rates. Our campus is not only vital to our students, faculty, and staff, but efforts have been made available throughout the pandemic to lessen COVID’s impact on our entire community.” 

 

The campaign featured a robust online component featuring University of Windsor students and faculty members engaging in question and answer sessions, as well as information on community resources, vaccination clinics in the area, and a frequently asked questions section.  

 

As well, a series of on-campus clinics supported by community health partners brought easy vaccine access not only to the campus community but to everyone in the area. 

 

A highlight of the campaign was the Get Social about the Jab to Win contest. Now closed, it offered prizes worth a total of more than $17,000 for UWindsor students, staff, and faculty who shared their stories about the fight against COVID-19. 

 

Dr. Gordon said he was pleased to see so many members of the campus community willing to share their reasons for being vaccinated. 

 

“We heard some really important, and often poignant stories about the human impact of COVID-19, but we also heard a lot of encouraging news from students, faculty, and staff who not only took the initiative to be vaccinated themselves but made the effort to get involved and bring that message to their community.”