A Columbus, Georgia, grandpa is celebrating a $5 million Georgia Lottery win. Prentiss Shumaker, 70, played the instant game Georgia's $500 Million Club and won $5 million.
Milgen Road Foodmart, located at 4254 Milgen Road in Columbus, sold the top prize ticket. Shumaker scratched his ticket in the store.
"I stood there and looked at it," he said. "I showed it to the store clerk, and he shook my hand."
Shumaker has one adult daughter and two grandchildren. He will use his winnings to help them.
"I'm going to make sure the grandkids and my daughter are taken care of," he shared.
According to Shumaker, he also plans to retire from his job in purchasing and sales after 39 years with the same company.
"I'm going to retire and get a part-time job. I can't just sit at home," he said.
Sharpsburg cafeteria worker wins $1 million
A Sharpsburg cafeteria worker has cooked up a lottery win. Bobbie Eckert, 66, won a $1 million top prize playing the Georgia Lottery instant game Georgia Lottery's Cash Explosion.
Thomas Crossroads BP, 3079 E. Highway 34 in Newnan, sold the lucky ticket. The great-grandmother scratched it in her car and realized she had a winning ticket.
"I called my husband, and he didn't believe me," said Eckert, who works at Cannongate Elementary School. "So, I showed it to the clerk, and she began screaming.
"I showed the ticket to the owner, and she began screaming too," she added. "We all were in the store jumping up and down screaming. Passers-by congratulated me."
Eckert and her husband, Randy, have three children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The couple plan to retire.
"I'm as happy as I can be," she exclaimed. "My stomach is still in knots."
Waycross cook wins $1 million
A Waycross fry cook is sizzling as a new millionaire, thanks to the Georgia Lottery. Jason Holder played the instant game Georgia's $500 Million Club and won $1 million.
Holder, 29, who works at a Chinese restaurant, purchased the ticket at Flash Foods #0176, 1401 Tebeau St. in Waycross. He stopped to buy two sodas and the ticket, he said. He scratched it in his van.
"It wasn't until I finished scratching the ticket that I saw I'd won," Holder said. "My girlfriend was with me, and she gave me a hug."
According to Holder, winning $1 million is a life-changing experience. He first plans to buy a new car.
"I feel fantastic. I feel awesome," he exclaimed. "Winning is sweet."
"I'm going to retire and get a part-time job. I can't just sit at home," he said.
I wonder if these people are just in shock and don't realize just how much they've won. He's 70 years old, has been working his whole life and just won $5 million dollars. Live a little! I wanted to answer him when I read the above comment..."Hey, you don't have to sit home."
Congrats to all 3. It must be a really great feeling.
(just a note: sounds as if his main concern is taking care of his family, so he probably should have given the ticket to his daughter to claim)
I am very glad that these instant game players won.
Please indulge me for a minute- The following is an e-mail I received from the Georgia Lottery in response to a question I had - I found it interesting. Maybe you will too...
The question was sent in February:
Name:xxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx Phone: xxxxxx
Subject: instant game MLB Braves
Comments:
I saw where this game is over and the tickets are being pulled.
NO $250,00 jackpots claimed out of 4 and the game is over ?
Were there ANY $250,000 tickets even printed ?
I will concede mistakes, lost tickets, etc for one or maybe 2, but 4 ?
This does not seem ethical to me to post that there were 4 jackpot
tickets out there and then pull the game.
Please explain....
Thanks...
The Answer received today:
Thank you for contacting the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC). We
sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to you.
The Georgia Lottery is very serious about the security and integrity of
our games. We go to great lengths to ensure that all of our games are
fair and that each ticket has an equal chance of winning a prize. Game
symbols and prize amounts in our instant games are distributed randomly
during the printing process, and tickets are randomly distributed to
retailers throughout Georgia.
All instant games are audited by an independent CPA firm prior to the
release of a game to confirm that the appropriate number of prizes are
included in the printing process of a game.
To date, players have won and claimed more than $11.4 million in cash
prizes in the Braves instant game alone. Additionally, more than 2,400
non-cash prizes have been claimed (Game Day Experience prizes, MLB
merchandise prize packs, Suite Nights and Season Tickets). Prizes at
all 16 prize levels other than the top prize level have been claimed.
There are four top prizes in the Braves instant game. While these prizes
have not been claimed to date, that does not mean that they haven't been
sold. Players have until May 29, 2008 to claim their prizes.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact a Player
Information Representative at 1-800-GA-LUCKY (1-800-425-8259).
We appreciate your interest in the GLC and our games. Through your
support we have raised more than $9.7 billion for the students of
Georgia - an investment in our future.
Quote: Originally posted by DoubleDown on Mar 27, 2008
I am very glad that these instant game players won.
Please indulge me for a minute- The following is an e-mail I received from the Georgia Lottery in response to a question I had - I found it interesting. Maybe you will too...
The question was sent in February:
Name:xxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx Phone: xxxxxx
Subject: instant game MLB Braves
Comments:
I saw where this game is over and the tickets are being pulled.
NO $250,00 jackpots claimed out of 4 and the game is over ?
Were there ANY $250,000 tickets even printed ?
I will concede mistakes, lost tickets, etc for one or maybe 2, but 4 ?
This does not seem ethical to me to post that there were 4 jackpot
tickets out there and then pull the game.
Please explain....
Thanks...
The Answer received today:
Thank you for contacting the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC). We
sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to you.
The Georgia Lottery is very serious about the security and integrity of
our games. We go to great lengths to ensure that all of our games are
fair and that each ticket has an equal chance of winning a prize. Game
symbols and prize amounts in our instant games are distributed randomly
during the printing process, and tickets are randomly distributed to
retailers throughout Georgia.
All instant games are audited by an independent CPA firm prior to the
release of a game to confirm that the appropriate number of prizes are
included in the printing process of a game.
To date, players have won and claimed more than $11.4 million in cash
prizes in the Braves instant game alone. Additionally, more than 2,400
non-cash prizes have been claimed (Game Day Experience prizes, MLB
merchandise prize packs, Suite Nights and Season Tickets). Prizes at
all 16 prize levels other than the top prize level have been claimed.
There are four top prizes in the Braves instant game. While these prizes
have not been claimed to date, that does not mean that they haven't been
sold. Players have until May 29, 2008 to claim their prizes.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact a Player
Information Representative at 1-800-GA-LUCKY (1-800-425-8259).
We appreciate your interest in the GLC and our games. Through your
support we have raised more than $9.7 billion for the students of
Georgia - an investment in our future.
Congrats to them all!
Wtg!
"I'm going to retire and get a part-time job. I can't just sit at home," he said.
I wonder if these people are just in shock and don't realize just how much they've won. He's 70 years old, has been working his whole life and just won $5 million dollars. Live a little! I wanted to answer him when I read the above comment..."Hey, you don't have to sit home."
Congrats to all 3. It must be a really great feeling.
(just a note: sounds as if his main concern is taking care of his family, so he probably should have given the ticket to his daughter to claim)
You see, people in their 70s do win.
Hey GA! Do you want your old CEO and President back? We are tired of her in Tennessee.
I am very glad that these instant game players won.
Please indulge me for a minute- The following is an e-mail I received from the Georgia Lottery in response to a question I had - I found it interesting. Maybe you will too...
The question was sent in February:
Name:xxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx Phone: xxxxxx
Subject: instant game MLB Braves
Comments:
I saw where this game is over and the tickets are being pulled.
NO $250,00 jackpots claimed out of 4 and the game is over ?
Were there ANY $250,000 tickets even printed ?
I will concede mistakes, lost tickets, etc for one or maybe 2, but 4 ?
This does not seem ethical to me to post that there were 4 jackpot
tickets out there and then pull the game.
Please explain....
Thanks...
The Answer received today:
Thank you for contacting the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC). We
sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to you.
The Georgia Lottery is very serious about the security and integrity of
our games. We go to great lengths to ensure that all of our games are
fair and that each ticket has an equal chance of winning a prize. Game
symbols and prize amounts in our instant games are distributed randomly
during the printing process, and tickets are randomly distributed to
retailers throughout Georgia.
All instant games are audited by an independent CPA firm prior to the
release of a game to confirm that the appropriate number of prizes are
included in the printing process of a game.
To date, players have won and claimed more than $11.4 million in cash
prizes in the Braves instant game alone. Additionally, more than 2,400
non-cash prizes have been claimed (Game Day Experience prizes, MLB
merchandise prize packs, Suite Nights and Season Tickets). Prizes at
all 16 prize levels other than the top prize level have been claimed.
There are four top prizes in the Braves instant game. While these prizes
have not been claimed to date, that does not mean that they haven't been
sold. Players have until May 29, 2008 to claim their prizes.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact a Player
Information Representative at 1-800-GA-LUCKY (1-800-425-8259).
We appreciate your interest in the GLC and our games. Through your
support we have raised more than $9.7 billion for the students of
Georgia - an investment in our future.
Welcome back DoubleDown.
Thanks Todd.
I'm still waiting for the GA Lottery to showcase any one of the $250,000 winners of the Braves scratcher.
I will keep my hearing aid turned up so I don't miss it.
DoubleDown
Just read this post 'cause I saw your name there! Always enjoyed your insight! Good to see ya' again!