Category: Lottery Winners

We often hear of stories about how sudden wealth tears a family apart.  Sometimes seemingly loving people can become jealous and greedy when large sums of money enter the picture.

This story is quite different.

Barrie Edwards bought a couple of Pennsylvania Lottery tickets, and due to a promotion that was going on at the time, he got a free Powerball ticket as a bonus.  That extra “freebie” ticket won him the $86.3 million jackpot.

A long time ago, the Edwards and the Funk families agreed that if any of them ever won a big jackpot, they would split the winnings among themselves. 

Mike Eynon is an offensive lineman for the Ohio University Bobcats (in Athens, Ohio).  His first score this season took place at a local convenience store recently.

Eynon bought a lottery ticket, and ended up matching 5 numbers – winning him a nice $250,000.  Of course, after taxes, his actual check will be for about $172,000.

He is a senior at the university, and said he plans to put the money toward his schooling.  He is only an occasional lottery player.

Judith Yap is hoping her luck holds out for a second win.

Last month Yap, a nurse, won $150,000 in the lottery where she lives (Illinois).  In Illinois, you can turn in $30 of losing tickets to get your name in a drawing for the “Replay for Riches” promotion.  Her name was drawn for the $150,000 prize.

But she now has a chance to multiply that prize.  She and 6 others have the opportunity to risk one-third of their winnings (in her case, $50,000) for a 1-in-6 chance at $1 million. 

Kevin Lee Carrier used to spend time looking for work.  Not any more.

Carrier is 53 years old, not married, and has been unemployed for a while.  Having no income did not prevent him from playing the Encore Lottery, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  He ended up matching all 7 numbers and immediately became Ontario’s next millionaire.

“I was scared when I saw that I had all those numbers”, said Carrier excitedly.

His plans?  Pay off some debts, get a brand new car, and buy a bigger apartment. 

Fiona Patterson has not had a good year.

In March, she lost 4 family members in an automobile crash.  Six weeks later, her grandmother and her aunt died of natural causes.  Shortly after that, Fiona herself was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Still, Fiona is keeping her chin up.  Helping her do that is the fact that she recently won $24,000 in the lottery.  Not huge wealth, but at least a positive event in a very difficult year.

Miss Patterson says, “Things are not as bad as they could be.