FISHKILL, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega and John Schnurr today presented over-sized prize checks to eight lucky Lottery players at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Fishkill, NY. The winners, including five family members, claimed $1,000,000 prizes on Mega Millions, Sweet Million and various scratch-off games.

Peekskill Lottery Player Takes Home a $1,000,000 Scratch-off With Her Holiday Groceries

Thirty-two-year-old Elizabeth Kennedy of Peekskill, Westchester County, won a top prize on the Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off game.

The stay-at-home mother of five said she and her sister were doing their holiday grocery shopping at the Stop & Shop on East Main Street in Peekskill on November 21 when Elizabeth decided to spend “the $2 I had in my pocket” on a Win $1,000 A Week For Life ticket out of the Lottery vending machine.

Kennedy said she scratched the ticket in the store and revealed three “LIFE” symbols. Her sister saw the look on her face and asked “What’s wrong?” Kennedy asked her sister how many “LIFE” symbols you need to reveal to win the jackpot. Her sister replied, “Three.”

 Kennedy handed her ticket to the store clerk to verify it was a jackpot winner. “I’ve been going between shock, happiness, nervousness and thanking God ever since,” she said. “I haven’t slept at all.” 

Kennedy opted to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment of $778,597 (net $515,276). She plans to use her windfall to pay bills and move to a different part of the state.

The New York Lottery contributed $70,858,076.81 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Westchester County during fiscal year 2012-13.

Stony Point Mom Wins Mega Millions Second Prize

Forty-one-year-old Eileen Charles of Stony Point, Rockland County, won a $1,000,000 second prize on the November 26 Mega Millions drawing. Charles said that she rarely plays the Lottery.  She purchased a Mega Millions ticket at Stony Point Fuel Mart on Willow Grove Road for that day’s drawing because the jackpot was $205,000,000.

A few days later, Charles stopped at the Dunkin Donuts in Stony Point Fuel Mart on her way to work to buy a hot chocolate and remembered she had several Lottery tickets to check.  The first two she scanned were non-winners but the third one said “Big Winner.”  She then noticed the sign above the ticket checker that said the store had sold a $1,000,000 winner. 

The self-proclaimed “most clueless Lottery player” brought
the ticket to the clerk and asked him to scan it.  He confirmed that she was the big winner the store was advertising.  Charles said she still didn’t believe him, so she went straight to work. 

Charles claimed her prize at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Fishkill on December 2.

She will receive a one-time lump sum payout of $661,800 after required withholdings.  Charles’ plans for the money include buying a Range Rover and saving some for the future.  She also plans to buy her daughter tickets to see her favorite musical group, One Direction.

The winning numbers for the November 26 Mega Millions drawing were 27- 44-59-74-75 and Mega Ball 3.

Family of Five Splits $5,000,000 Multiplier Scratch-off Game Prize

The Schmidt family of Harriman, Salisbury Mills and Jacksonville, Florida won a $1,000,000 second prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game.

Albert Schmidt, 66, husband of Johanna and father of Suzanne, Matthew and Brian, is a frequent scratch-off player.  Schmidt said he chose the $5,000,000 Multiplier game because he had been “winning on it.” Albert bought two tickets at the Stewart’s Shop on East Main Street in Washingtonville that day. The first one he scratched was the $1,000,000 winner.

Schmidt said he went straight back to the store to make sure he was “seeing straight.” The ticket revealed a 10X symbol next to a $100,000 prize. Schmidt, a retired teacher, joked that he was having trouble doing the math at that moment.   Once verified as a $1,000,000 winner, Schmidt headed home to tell his wife and children. His wife said she, “thought the ticket was phony at first.”

Schmidt decided to split his prize with his wife and three adult children. They will each receive a net check totaling $132,360 after required withholdings. They do not have plans for the money yet, but Albert did promise his son Brian that he would skydive with him in Florida.

The New York Lottery contributed $76,833,349.97 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Orange County during fiscal year 2012-13.

Frequent Lottery Player Wins “Sweet” Prize

Robert Moorefield, 77, of Stony Point, Rockland County won a $1,000,000 top prize on the December 5 Sweet Million drawing. The retired general foreman for U.S. Gypsum Company said he likes to play Sweet Million “for something to play on Tuesdays and Thursdays” in between Mega Millions, Powerball and Lotto.

Moorefield said he goes to Stout Steve’s ½ Off Cards on Liberty Drive in Stony Point to buy his tickets most days. “I go around 2 ‘o’clock in the afternoon,” he said, “I like to avoid the busy times like the morning rush and lunch hour. I figure after all those tickets are sold, all the winners are waiting there for me!”

Moorefield checked his Quick Pick numbers in the Journal News on December 6 and saw that he matched all six numbers. “I was hoping the paper was right!” he said laughing. He brought the ticket back to the card shop to be sure. “The store was more excited than I was,” he continued. 

Moorefield will receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment netting him $661,800 after required withholdings. His plans for the money include helping his grandchildren with their student loans and other expenses. “It’s all going in the bank,” he said. “I’m glad I can do that for them.”

The winning numbers for the December 5 Sweet Million drawing were 03-13-19-20-38-39.

The New York Lottery contributed $25,667,967.26 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Rockland County during fiscal year 2012-13. 

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2012-2013 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.