By Todd Northrop
TUSCOLA, Ill. — "The lottery has made our dreams come true!"
That's what the Illinois winner and his wife exclaimed Tuesday when they claimed a $134 million jackpot from the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game.
The winning couple, who claimed the prize in the name of the Elaine Francis Trust, beat the 1-in-259 million odds with a Quick Pick ticket in the Friday, September 16 Mega Millions drawing.
The winning numbers drawn that evening were 13, 21, 28, 34, and 40, with Mega Ball number 15.
The winners were born and raised in central Illinois and have lived in Tuscola for several years. After discovering the win, they met with financial and legal advisers and made plans to retire early from their factory and health care industry jobs.
They said they will share the windfall with their families, and will help out in the Tuscola community and the communities where they grew up. They opted to take the prize as a one-time payment of $89,993,284 (before the required tax withholdings).
The winning ticket was purchased at Lambo's BP, 1000 E. Southline Road, in Tuscola. The retailer will receive a bonus of $500,000 for selling the winning ticket.
The $134 million jackpot is the fifth-largest lottery prize ever collected in the state of Illinois.
The Illinois Lottery respected the winners' request for minimal publicity by not publishing their names or the names of the towns where they grew up.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Congrats!!!
my sentiments exactly.
Sniff, that was MY jackpot! Sniff.
They need to get out of Tuscola before they get kidnapped and robbed.
Me too, glad they took the cash option given Illinois' history of not paying folks their lottery wins. And a quick pick to boot.
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That's how you do it ! ! !
Congratulations to all those associate with the winners!
(I'm still waiting for my turn.)
It would have been your Jackpot if you picked those numbers.
CONGRATS!
Congrats to the lucky couple. enjoy.
Congratulations to this couple. This is the second straight Mega Millions Jackpot winning ticket in a row that is a California Super Lotto Plus pick.
Good for them.
From the OP and this is news to me;
"The Illinois Lottery respected the winners' request for minimal publicity by not publishing their names or the names of the towns where they grew up."
Not exactly anonymous but better than nothing. Most wins are put on the monitors by the lottery sales counter and everyone in the state that plays lotto sees your name and picture. They used to show first and last names before Abraham Shakespeare got killed.
Congratulations to this lucky couple. Abraham Shakespeare lives on when lottery organizations change for the better.
AMEN TO THAT.............
Before I read your comment about it being your money I had the very same thought!
That's OK I'M WINNING TONIGHT!
In my state, the names are on the screen monitors for years. Now, I under state the laws that say they have to make the names of the winners public. But when they put the names on the screens and do so for as long as they want, then they are using your name for advertising. That is contrary to the rational behind publishing the names and I would object to it.