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January 28, 2015                                         Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

YONKERS, N.Y. – Kevin Buchanan, of Yonkers, had the best Christmas Day ever after he won the top prize of $5,000,000 on the New York Lottery’s Hit $5,000,000 scratch-off game.

Buchanan, who works in the construction trade, said last Christmas Day he went to the gym in the morning and then stopped for some breakfast.  After breakfast, he decided to go to Yonkers Grocery and Convenience on Yonkers Avenue to buy some Lottery tickets.

“I thought to myself ‘It’s Christmas Day, I guess I’ll try my luck.’ I just randomly bought a couple of Lottery tickets, and the Hit $5,000,000 ticket was the last one I picked,” said Buchanan.

Buchanan said he scratched the ticket right in the store. “I thought at first I had won $500, then I thought it was $5,000, and then I saw more zeros and almost fell out of my chair,” he said.  “I thought something was wrong with the ticket, so I scanned it in the machine and the display said ‘Big Money Winner.’”

Buchanan said it wasn’t until he claimed the ticket on December 28, 2014 that he started to believe it was true. He chose to receive his prize in one lump sum payment and will receive $3,235,132 after required withholdings.

As for his plans for the money, Buchanan said, “I’m going to pay some bills and make some investments for the future.  Nothing is really going to change.  I’m just going to live like I always did.”

Buchanan is the 167th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more in 2014.

The New York Lottery contributed $63,380,658.32 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Westchester County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.17 billion in fiscal year 2013-2014 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 15 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.

About the New York State Gaming Commission

The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all aspects of gaming and gambling activity in the state, including horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, class III Indian gaming, video lottery terminal facilities at race tracks, the state lottery and charitable gaming.