A Colquitt man just passing through Statesboro left town a little bit richer - say, by about a million dollars.
Tony Richardson, 34, who lives in Colquitt but works for Alabama Electric Cooperative, stopped in Statesboro with his work crew, taking a break from traveling to grab a bite of lunch.
The crew also stopped at the Amoco station on North Main Street. Richardson bought a scratch ticket - the Georgia Lottery instant game $300 Million Gold Rush - but waited until he was on his way home to scratch it, according to information from Georgia Lottery Corporation Media Relations Manager Tandi Reddick.
In an interview with the Georgia Lottery Corporation, Richardson said “I looked at it four times. I had to call my supervisor, who was in another truck, and we all pulled over to look at it.”
Richardson lives in Colquitt with his wife, Alison, and his three children, ages 5, 2 and a newborn son. He plans to save for the children’s education and will buy a new house and truck, Reddick said.
“I’m shocked,” he exclaimed. “I still can’t believe it.”
Hasu Patel, manager of the Amoco store, said she is happy for Richardson, but wishes she had met him and knew he won. He remained outside and had someone else purchase the ticket for him, she said.
"I feel so good. I'd like to see the person who bought it," she said Friday. "He can enjoy his life now. I like seeing people like that who can now enjoy their life."
The store did not receive a bonus for selling the winning scratch-off ticket, she said. Only sales of tickets like Fantasy Five and other non-scratch-off tickets garner bonuses for the stores selling them, she said.
Will the sale of the million dollar ticket bring in more customers? "I don't know," Patel said. "A lot of people don't yet know about it. I'm not sure right now."
Reddick said since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned over $9.3 billion to the state of Georgia for education. "All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program," she said." More than 1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 850,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program."
For more information on the Georgia lottery, visit the Media Center on the Georgia Lottery Internet web site www.galottery.com.
Tony Richardson, 34, who lives in Colquitt but works for Alabama Electric Cooperative, stopped in Statesboro with his work crew, taking a break from traveling to grab a bite of lunch.
The crew also stopped at the Amoco station on North Main Street. Richardson bought a scratch ticket - the Georgia Lottery instant game $300 Million Gold Rush - but waited until he was on his way home to scratch it, according to information from Georgia Lottery Corporation Media Relations Manager Tandi Reddick.
In an interview with the Georgia Lottery Corporation, Richardson said “I looked at it four times. I had to call my supervisor, who was in another truck, and we all pulled over to look at it.”
Richardson lives in Colquitt with his wife, Alison, and his three children, ages 5, 2 and a newborn son. He plans to save for the children’s education and will buy a new house and truck, Reddick said.
“I’m shocked,” he exclaimed. “I still can’t believe it.”
Hasu Patel, manager of the Amoco store, said she is happy for Richardson, but wishes she had met him and knew he won. He remained outside and had someone else purchase the ticket for him, she said.
"I feel so good. I'd like to see the person who bought it," she said Friday. "He can enjoy his life now. I like seeing people like that who can now enjoy their life."
The store did not receive a bonus for selling the winning scratch-off ticket, she said. Only sales of tickets like Fantasy Five and other non-scratch-off tickets garner bonuses for the stores selling them, she said.
Will the sale of the million dollar ticket bring in more customers? "I don't know," Patel said. "A lot of people don't yet know about it. I'm not sure right now."
Reddick said since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned over $9.3 billion to the state of Georgia for education. "All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program," she said." More than 1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 850,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program."
For more information on the Georgia lottery, visit the Media Center on the Georgia Lottery Internet web site www.galottery.com.