FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 5, 2009
CONTACT: David Workman
(208) 334-2600
Life-long Boisean Claims $200,000 Powerball Ticket
Boise – Every Thursday morning, Gary Young has a tradition of having his breakfast and checking his Powerball tickets on the Internet from the drawing the night before. This morning, Young had a little more for breakfast than normal – he had a $200,000 winning Powerball ticket in his hand.
“I stared at the numbers on the computer screen in disbelief,” said Young, a life long Boise resident. “I couldn’t eat my breakfast once I realized I’d won more than $100.”
Young’s ticket was one of Idaho’s 7,094 winning tickets worth $244,513 from last night’s $20 million Powerball draw. Had Young elected the PowerPlay option, under the new rules of Powerball, Young’s ticket would have been worth an automatic $1,000,000. The winning numbers last night were: 01, 06, 44, 49, 55, and the Powerball number was 36.
Young had only ever won $300 from the Lottery on the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle during the Holidays before this win. His good luck continued when he matched all five of the first numbers last night but did not match the Powerball itself. Young works locally for The Pool Doctor and bought his winning ticket on his way home last night from the same store he’s been buying tickets from for over ten years, the KJ’s 66 at the corner of Fairview and Cloverdale.
“I always get my tickets from the 66 there on Fairview,” added Young. “I even thought of going to a different place last night, but made it a point to visit my store.”
For their part in selling the winning ticket, KJ’s 66 will receive a bonus from the Idaho Lottery of $20,000.
“I’m going to do what any red-blooded American boy would do with the money. I’m going to spend it,” exclaimed Young as he and his wife Darla discussed plans to pay down some bills and pay-off their house.
“I think we’re just a lucky couple,” explained Darla, who still receives grief from co-workers herself after she won a pick-up truck from KIZN 92.3 radio station about three years ago.
“Once in a blue moon is becoming a little more frequent. I can’t imagine the grief I’ll get now,” she said laughing.
“We’re pleased we had such a great winner like Mr. Young,” commented Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “We wish him and our winning retail partner great success in the future.”
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The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Scratch™ tickets, and PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho public schools and buildings. Since it’s inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has sold more than $1.7 billion in sales, awarded over $1 billion in prizes to players, returned more than $100 million in retail commissions, and distributed more than $402 million in Lottery dividends to state public schools and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.
