Vaccination against COVID-19 has parked Nebraska’s Bonnie Martin squarely in the front row.
After years of walking to campus from a downtown apartment, the director of the College of Engineering’s scholar program is now parking daily in a reserved space yards from the front door of Nebraska Hall. Martin’s primo space was earned through the University of Nebraska¬–Lincoln’s voluntary COVID-19 Vaccine Registry giveaway.
“I was so excited to receive the email about winning a prize through the vaccine registry,” Martin said. “The first thing I did was call (Parking and Transit Services) to make sure I could get a spot near my building.”
And the timing was perfect as Martin is moving soon from downtown. Preparing for the move, she had recently purchased an Area A parking permit.
“Parking allowed me to exchange the permit and now I have this incredible guaranteed spot every morning,” Martin said. “It also allows me the opportunity to run an errand over lunch or something and not have to worry about parking when I get back.”
Martin said the “cool prizes” spurred her to register immediately when the vaccine registry went live on July 1. She also liked the idea of being registered and avoiding the need for weekly COVID-19 testing in the fall semester.
“I really liked the simplicity of registering, not having to worry about weekly testing as we return to work this fall,” Martin said. “I made sure I registered right away so I could check it off my to-do list.”
Like many other Huskers, Martin said she got vaccinated against COVID-19 in the spring based on the science behind the inoculation. It was recommended by her doctor and also allowed her an opportunity to see family members in-person rather than via Zoom.
“I love the idea behind the registry and the giveaways,” Martin said. “The incentives to get the vaccine and register your status are substantial — not only are you protecting yourself and your community, you also have an opportunity to win some great prizes.
“It feels like a big deal and shows that our university is committed to getting Huskers back on campus safely and creating that culture that we all treasure.”
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s voluntary vaccine registry and related giveaways are open to all undergraduate, graduate and professional-degree seeking students, as well as faculty and staff.
Weekly prizes are being awarded through Aug. 13. Grand prize drawings — which feature (for five students) a cash award worth one year of resident undergraduate tuition and fees, and (for employees) a trip for two to Ireland to see the Huskers place Northwestern in 2022 — are scheduled for Aug. 15.
Weekly prize winners are contacted via email on Fridays.
Learn more about the vaccination registry and giveaways here. Details on how to get vaccinated are available here.
Additional details about the university’s plans to return to primarily in-person, full-capacity instruction are available on the COVID-19 website.
