FISHKILL, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Amanda Serrano today presented two ceremonial prize checks worth a collective $2,000,002 to the Hudson Valley’s latest Lottery millionaires. The check presentations took place at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Fishkill.

Retired Banking Pro from Goshen Beats the Odds Twice To Win $1,000,002 CASH4LIFE Prize

Seventy-four-year-old Gloria A. White of Goshen doesn’t consider herself to be “extra lucky,” but her winning ways suggest otherwise. White won not one but two cash prizes from the August 17 CASH4LIFE drawing, making her $2 richer than the typical CASH4LIFE millionaire.

White, a retired banking industry professional who recently ended her second career in accounts payable for a beer distributor, won $1,000,000 for matching the first five numbers drawn on August 17 plus $2 for matching one number plus the Cash Ball on a separate ticket.

The chances of winning the CASH4LIFE second prize worth $1,000,000 are 1:7,282,016. The chances of winning the ninth prize (one number plus the Cash Ball) are 1:13.

The mother of one and grandmother of three said she’s been buying CASH4LIFE tickets since the game launched “because I realized I could play my TAKE 5 numbers with this game too.”

White said she’s never won a significant amount on TAKE 5, but her luck changed “in a big way” with CASH4LIFE.

White’s winning numbers represent a mix of birthdays: Her husband’s, her daughter’s and those of her three grandchildren. The winning numbers from the August 17 CASH4LIFE drawing were 05 19 21 24 27 and Cash Ball 03.

White said she checked her numbers on her phone at 12:30 in the morning as she typically does after each CASH4LIFE drawing and expected to match some numbers, but was really surprised to reel off five in a row.

“I woke up my husband who was sound asleep and told him he would have to take me in to claim my ticket and then I fell asleep, too.” White said she woke up “determined to get the day’s routine business out of the way so I could just focus on my ticket.”

White opted to receive the cash value of the advertised $1,000 a week for life second prize, netting her a one-time prize payment totaling $661,801. Her lump sum includes her additional $2 win.

She plans to use a portion of her windfall to remodel her 40-year-old kitchen. “It will be nice to have the extra money to do the things I want to do,” she said.

“I always told myself anything is possible,” she said of her win, “That’s what I would tell other players. It’s out there. You can win.”

White bought her ticket at Cumberland Farms on Brookside Rd. in Chester.

West Point Staff Officer Becomes 7^th Hudson Valley Resident to Win $1,000,000 Powerball Prize in 2015

Sixty-one-year-old Charles Kaune of Highland Mills, a Staff Officer at West Point, is the 7^th Hudson Valley Powerball player to take home a $1,000,000 second prize in 2015. Kaune and his fellow Powerball millionaires won their seven-figure prizes by matching the first five numbers in drawings dating back to January of this year. Kaune’s lucky numbers were selected on August 22.

“I used a combination of family birthdays, except for the last number because I ran out of birthdays to use,” said the Powerball regular. The winning numbers for the August 22 Powerball drawing were 04 12 14 21 55 and Powerball (07).

Kaune said he purchased his ticket while antiquing last month with his wife of 27 years, Lynn. “We bought a desk and then headed to the beverage center next door to see what kind of craft beer they had. I noticed at the counter that they sold Lottery and decided to buy a ticket,” he said.

Kaune’s wife checked the pair’s winning numbers at www.nylottery.ny.gov the morning after the drawing. “I saw the number and thought we might have won something,” she said. “Charles thought I was joking and insisted on checking the ticket too. It’s very exciting!”

Kaune will receive his prize a single lump sum payment totaling $661,800, which he plans to use to pay bills and share with family. He bought his ticket at Monroe Beer & Soda on Route 17M in Monroe.

Other recent Hudson Valley Powerball players to win a $1,000,000 second prize in 2015 include:

Nancy Pasqua of New Rochelle, the XR14 LLC of Pleasantville (comprised of 14 co-workers from Pleasantville); Gary Phillips of New Rochelle; Kardy Mathe of Spring Valley; Joseph Sirmans of Cortlandt Manor; and Darryl Johnson of Middletown.

The New York Lottery contributed $82,318,023.16 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Orange County during fiscal year 2014-2015.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.11 billion in fiscal year 2014-2015 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 14 percent of total state education aid to local school districts. 

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education.  It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.