FARMINGTON, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega was at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack to present over-sized prize checks to New York’s newest Lottery millionaires. The winners included a truck driver from Rochester who won $1,000,000 on the Cash X60 scratch-off game, a Hamlin man who won the $1,000,000 top prize on the Win $1,000 a Week for Life game, and a retiree from Lyons who won the $1,000,000 second prize from the January 16 Powerball drawing.

Truck Driver’s Change of Strategy Results in $1,000,000 Lottery Win

Prentiss Jackson is Rochester’s newest Lottery millionaire. Jackson won the latest $1,000,000 top prize on the popular Cash X60 scratch-off ticket. The newly minted millionaire can thank a last minute change of strategy for his win.

“I was home after work and decided to go down to the corner store to buy a $20 ticket,” explained Jackson. “While I was standing at the vending machine something told me to buy four $5 tickets instead.”

The very first ticket he scratched turned out to be the $1,000,000 winner. “I scratched the first ticket right then and there. When I saw the matching seventeen’s and the word ‘jackpot’ I just started screaming.”

While it was quite a scene, Jackson wasn’t exactly sure how much he had won. “I thought the jackpot was $250,000. It was the clerk that explained to me I had just won $1,000,000!”

Jackson purchased his ticket at the Convenient Market & Deli on Long Pond Road in Rochester. He opted to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum and will receive a check totaling $547,540 after withholdings.

Jackson plans to invest most of his winnings for the future, but does have one immediate purchase in mind. “I currently drive a pretty beat-up old truck so a new one will be the first thing I purchase. After that I’ll invest and one day buy a new house.”

The New York Lottery contributed $165,227,068 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Monroe County during fiscal year 2014-2015.

Retiree from Lyons Reinvests $7 Powerball Win and Hits $1,000,000 Second Prize on Next Drawing

Beverly Swart, from Lyons is Wayne County’s newest Lottery millionaire. Swart won $7 on a Powerball ticket from the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot on January 13. She reinvested that money and purchased a Quick Pick ticket for the January 16 drawing and matched the first five numbers drawn earning her the $1,000,00 second prize.

Swart said she normally stays up to see the results of the drawing, but that Saturday she didn’t. “It’s probably a good thing I didn’t stay up that night. I would have never been able to fall asleep knowing I won $1,000,000.”

The mother of three checked her numbers the following morning. “After drinking my coffee and reading the paper I finally got around to checking my numbers. I rechecked them three times and then decided to go back to the store to see if it was real.”

Swart returned to Northside Grocery on N Main Street in Newark and scanned her ticket. “The machine said ‘big winner’ and started making all sorts of noise,” she explained. “When the clerk behind the counter told me it was worth $1,000,000, I won’t repeat what I said!”

The $1,000,000 Powerball second prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum. Swart will receive a check totaling $661,800 after withholdings.

As for her plans for the money, Swart said, “The first thing I’ll do is take a trip to Florida to visit my brother. Of course I’ll give some to my children and then I’ll use some for home repairs.”

The winning numbers for the January 16 Powerball drawing were 03 51 52 61 64 Powerball 06.

The New York Lottery contributed $165,227,068 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Monroe County during fiscal year 2014-2015.

“Fluke” Purchase Results in Lottery Win of a Lifetime for Hamlin Man

Jonathan Borkholder from Hamlin considers himself an occasional Lottery scratch-off player. When he does play he chooses his tickets based on whichever one in the bin catches his eye. Borkholder explained that a Win $1,000 a Week for Life he purchased last month was a fluke purchase. That ticket made the former swimming pool installer $1,000,000 richer.

“My buddy and I stopped at the store for gas and I ran in to buy some scratch-off tickets,” he explained. “I don’t normally buy the Win for Life tickets, but it happened to catch my eye. I reached into my pocket and I happened to have $2. It really was kind of a fluke thing.”

Borkholder scratched his winner in his friend’s truck and couldn’t believe his eyes. “I just kept looking at it over and over. I showed my buddy and he thought it was real. We took it to a bar down the street and scanned it. When the machine said ‘big winner’ I knew it was real.

Borkholder purchased his ticket at Crosby’s on Lake Road in Hamlin. He opted to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum and will receive a check totaling $519,758 after withholdings.

Borkholder plans to share his prize with his children and buy a new car. “I’m going to take the kids to Myrtle Beach on vacation and then buy a new car. I’ve had my eye on a Dodge Challenger Hellcat for quite some time.”

The New York Lottery contributed $23,901,907 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Wayne 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.