Iowa steelworkers group claims $1 million Powerball lottery prize

Oct 13, 2009, 8:42 am (5 comments)

Powerball

DES MOINES, Iowa — A group of 10 co-workers from a Des Moines tire-manufacturing plant stepped forward Monday to claim a $1 million Powerball prize they'd won with a ticket purchased a local convenience store.

The co-workers who all produce agricultural tires at the Des Moines Firestone plant are calling themselves "The Local 310 Ten" because they're all members of Local 310 of the United Steelworkers Union. They've pooled their money to buy Powerball tickets together for about five years and made for a happy bunch as news of their good fortune spread.

"I've been coming to grips with it since 11:15 p.m. Saturday night when I called in and read the numbers and was actually disappointed because we didn't have any Powerballs on our ticket," said Dan Kelley of Urbandale, who buys the group's tickets. "And low and behold, there it was on the bottom line, the last one on the ticket. And I just had to sit back and take a deep breath and call the Iowa Lottery once again to double-check my numbers on the verification line."

Kelley bought the group's winning ticket at Casey's, 4560 E. 14th St. in Des Moines. It was the only ticket in the nation to win a $1 million prize in Saturday's drawing.

When the Powerball game was redesigned in January, one of the changes made was specifically for the prize you win if your ticket matches the first five numbers and you've added the Power Play. The prize for that play is always $1 million, no matter what the Power Play number is for that drawing.

Kelley's wife, Susan, won a $100,000 Powerball prize in 2005 and hadn't added the Power Play to her ticket, so her prize wasn't multiplied. Kelley said that's when the group decided to start playing the Power Play.

Don Root, 56, of Ankeny, is another member of the group. He said he found out about their good fortune about 5 a.m. Sunday when Kelley called him, rousing him from sleep to tell him how much they'd won.

"He said we'd won and he told me how much. I just kind of said, 'Yeah," and I hung the phone up," Root said. "I went over and sat down and kind of realized what he'd told me and the adrenaline kind of hit. It took about 20 minutes to hit and then I realized what he'd actually said."

After taxes, each member of the group received $70,000. Root said he planned to put his money straight into savings.

The Local 310 Ten claimed Iowa's second $1 million-winning Powerball ticket this month and its fourth this year.

Last week, a retired Des Moines man won a $1 million Powerball prize by adding the Power Play option to his ticket. Richard J. Smith, 84, of Des Moines bought his winning ticket at a West Des Moines supermarket.

In August, two couples who were camping at the Iowa State Fair won a $1 million prize by adding the Power Play option to their Powerball ticket. Rick Hamilton and Sharon Sulser, both from Chariton, and Vickie and Terry Chambers, both from nearby Columbia, split the $1 million prize they won with a ticket they purchased while making an ice run to a Pleasant Hill gas station.

And in February, a Marshalltown man won a $1 million prize by adding the Power Play option to his Powerball ticket. Ricky Rushton, who worked in the cafeteria at the Swift & Co. pork-processing plant in Marshalltown, bought his $1 million-winning ticket at a Marshalltown convenience store.

The winning numbers in Saturday's $25 million Powerball drawing were: 13-32-45-49-50 and Powerball 30. No one won Saturday's jackpot, so it increases to an estimated $30 million for Wednesday.

Lottery CEO Terry Rich said Iowa's four $1 million Powerball winners this year show that the updates to the game are delivering what players want: continued big jackpots, but the chance to win other big prizes as well.

"Iowa has really been riding high in the wave when it comes to Powerball millionaires," Rich said. "We think more people are aware of the Power Play option – and it pays off when they win $1 million rather than $200,000 for an extra $1."

As the group claimed its prize Monday, the members of The Local 310 Ten were pooling their money to buy more tickets for Wednesday's drawing. As always, Kelley checked off the names in the pool in his notebook.

"We've all got a bond because we're after the same goal and that's products made in America and to keep America going," he said.

The members of The Local 310 Ten are: Dan Kelley Jr. of Urbandale; Tony Link, James Dorr and Richard Harter, all of Des Moines; Patrick McNaney of Berwick; Tom Cavanaugh, Donald Root and Wesley Beeghly, all of Ankeny; Bruce Michael of Altoona; and Donald Maas of Stuart.

Since the Iowa Lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.4 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised nearly $1.2 billion for state programs.

Prize: $1 million

Federal Withholding: $250,000

State Withholding: $50,000

Cash Amount: $700,000

Press Release

Comments

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Good story about yet another group of people pooling their money to buy more tickets and share the proceeds. I wish they would have said how much they are putting in every time. I know that the odds betterment between $1 and $100 invested is miniscule but it sure seems to pay off a lot for groups. Makes you think that people who spend $100 or so aren't that nuts afterall.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

There is been a guy I know who likes to ask me if I played the lotto and when I say yes he says he also bought some tickets and always finishes off with this sentence"me and you shall share whatever we win." Now I dont believe that and even though I dont say it to him, I have no illusions about it.

whatever shall I do? This guy has always been nice to me but I suspect that he is trying to pave way for a "verbal contract" defence if I ever happen to win.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Oct 13, 2009

There is been a guy I know who likes to ask me if I played the lotto and when I say yes he says he also bought some tickets and always finishes off with this sentence"me and you shall share whatever we win." Now I dont believe that and even though I dont say it to him, I have no illusions about it.

whatever shall I do? This guy has always been nice to me but I suspect that he is trying to pave way for a "verbal contract" defence if I ever happen to win.

He probably says that to everyone hoping to find an easy mark just in case.

And if he wins he'll never tell anyone. I don't think anything he says could be enforcable. If it was there'd be a lot of cases like that in court. I wouldn't worry about it.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Thanks man, I feel a little more comfortable, though with these sleazy lawyers, you never know.

Nino224's avatarNino224

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Oct 13, 2009

There is been a guy I know who likes to ask me if I played the lotto and when I say yes he says he also bought some tickets and always finishes off with this sentence"me and you shall share whatever we win." Now I dont believe that and even though I dont say it to him, I have no illusions about it.

whatever shall I do? This guy has always been nice to me but I suspect that he is trying to pave way for a "verbal contract" defence if I ever happen to win.

Unless he's a REAALLY close friend or relative I would ask him what the hell he's talking about.

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