Southwest Airlines this morning announced that it will celebrate its 50th anniversary by offering 50 free round-trip tickets as part of the state Health Department’s #higotvaccinated giveaway.

The Hawaii Department of Health launched the #higotvaccinated incentives campaign last week as part of an effort to get more people to get their COVID-19 vaccines.

“Getting vaccinated, we think, is extraordinarily important,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines chief commercial officer and executive vice president, in a Zoom call from Hilo. “It’s how we as individuals, as a state, as a country, as a world, get back to normal. So we want to do our part and participate in the #higotvaccinated giveaway.”

Next week, Southwest Airlines will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“We’re here in the 50th state so it only makes sense then that we donate 50 round trips to #higotvaccinated for people to travel wherever they’d like on Southwest Airlines,” he said.

The trips can be booked anywhere, including to neighbor islands, but Watterson said he recommended trips to Las Vegas or the U.S. mainland to get more value out of the tickets.

The trips are estimated at about $400 in retail value per round trip and include two complimentary checked bags.

The round-trip tickets from Southwest Airlines will soon be added to the list of other prizes up for grabs to those who get the COVID-19 vaccine this month.

Already up for grabs is a trip for two to Las Vegas from Vacations Hawaii, 100,000 HawaiianMiles for 10 winners courtesy Hawaiian Airlines, four pairs of round-trip tickets courtesy Alaska Airlines, and a year of free Zippy’s meals.

The Southwest Airlines trips will be added soon, with weekly drawings likely to be held this month.

The first winners for the first 100,000 HawaiianMiles and two Alaska Airlines round-trip tickets are expected to be drawn this Friday, according to state Health Department spokesman Brooks Baehr.

The winners will be publicly announced next week after a verification process has been completed.

As of 4 p.m. today, more than 160,000 had registered to win the prizes, Baehr said.

The prizes, as well as a number of deals and discounts, are listed at higotvaccinated.com as part of a push to get remaining Hawaii residents vaccinated, particularly as demand for the COVID-19 vaccines wanes.

Since the campaign was announced last Friday, the number of deals and discounts from local businesses has also grown.

There are now more than 50 deals and discounts offered, including 10% off an in-store purchase at Lanikai Juice, Morning Brew and Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop if you show your vaccination card as well as $25 off for new customers from Botox Oahu.

Hawaii residents ages 18 and up who have already been vaccinated, as well as those that get vaccinated this month with at least one dose of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, are eligible.

Visit higotvaccinated.com to learn more.