In commemoration of its 20^th anniversary, the Georgia Lottery is giving students from Georgia Southern University as well as eight other universities the chance to win scholarships at five GSU athletic events.

The promotion, called Dollars for Scholars, will give students the opportunity to win one of eight $1,000 scholarships and one full-year scholarship.

In order to be entered for a shot at one of the $1,000 scholarships, students must attend one of the five GSU Georgia Lottery HOPE Games and receive a coded wristband. To be entered into the lottery for the full-year scholarship, students must enter the code on their wristband at the Dollars for Scholars website.

The first HOPE Game was on Sept. 28 at the football game against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where Nicole Strenkowski, senior early childhood education major, won the first $1,000 prize.

“That was one of the best Saturdays of my life,” Strenkowski said. “My Georgia Southern Eagles won an exhilarating game, and I was the lucky winner of $1,000.”

Strenkowski plans to use her scholarship to cover a part of the cost of her last semester at GSU.

Students have another opportunity to play at the Nov. 9 football game against Western Carolina University. Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate.