Lottery ticket purchased in central Iowa puts man's dream car within reach

Feb 5, 2019, 9:09 am (12 comments)

Mega Millions

An East Moline man stopped in a central Iowa convenience store last month to grab a coffee, snack and what ended up being a pretty lucky piece of paper, the Iowa Lottery announced Monday.

Danny Lovett, 60, bought a $1 million winning lottery ticket at a Kum & Go in Colfax while on his truck route from Davenport to Des Moines, the lottery said in a statement.

"You count and you count and you look and it's like, 'There's no way!'" Lovett said in a news release Monday. "Then you wake people up out of bed so they can see, too. It's a great thing."

Lovett said plans to use the money to buy a house, add to his retirement savings, help out his family and buy his dream car: a 1972 Ford Mustang fastback. 

The winning ticket was announced on Jan. 15, but Lovett didn't check to see that his first five numbers were a match until a few days later. After waiting out the recent series of winter storms, Lovett finally stopped by the Iowa Lottery Headquarters in Clive to claim his winnings, the lottery said.

One other Mega Millions ticket purchased in California also won $1 million in prize money in the Jan. 15 drawing.

Lovett was one number away from winning a part of the $55 million jackpot, which continues to increase in value until it's claimed, lottery officials said.

His ticket was the second winning ticket the Colfax Kum & Go sold in the past 13 months.

In January of 2018, George Dickerson of Colfax also claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from a ticket at the Colfax convenience store, according to the lottery.

More than $4.2 billion has been awarded to Iowa Lottery players and more than $1.9 billion to state programs since the program's inception in 1985, according to the news release. 

Lottery proceeds primarily support the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund, the state's General Fund and the Vision Iowa Program, the lottery said in the statement.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Des Moines Register

Comments

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

That's how it happens.....Coffee, snack and $1,000,000 Mega Millions winning ticket please!

Congrats Danny!

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Feb 5, 2019

That's how it happens.....Coffee, snack and $1,000,000 Mega Millions winning ticket please!

Congrats Danny!

Maybe I need to start drinking coffee...love the smell, hate the taste.

Finally a feel good story.  Thanks Todd.

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

The comment in the car pic must be from the Head Bottle Washer around here.  Wink

music*'s avatarmusic*

Congratulations Danny. Your plans will probably eat up most of your after-tax winnings. Your retirement savings is an excellent plan. Enjoy the ride!Big Grin

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Feb 5, 2019

The comment in the car pic must be from the Head Bottle Washer around here.  Wink

Guilty as charged. Smile

noise-gate

...it’s a looker alright, but can it keep up with a Dodge Charger RT Hemi 5.7L Cool

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Feb 5, 2019

Guilty as charged. Smile

Green laugh@ Todd

different strokes for different folks

 

not a Vette either Cheers

sweetie7398's avatarsweetie7398

Congrats to the winnerHyper

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Congrats Danny.... Great last name to go with the winning ticket

Groppo's avatarGroppo

.

This indeed is one fortunate man.  Though not my first or second choice, that car is awesome. A friend of mine (who sadly later died, unrelated to anything automotive) had one a couple decades ago.

My comment below is not directly related to this article, but I want to amend my intention of distribution, that I've held for a while, should I win a significant prize.
( I doubt I'll ever win any big prize.)

My updated donation list is as follows:

(This list is subject to be updated as this shakey world's situation continues to crumble.)

  • St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
  • LoveShriners.org (children's hospital)
  • The Gaylons, conjoined twins, of Ohio.  Their situation is pitiful and their needs likely grow. The Gaylon boys are currently the oldest conjoined set of twins, in the world.
  • Questionably/Wrongfully convicted Oklahoma Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw.
  • Surviving parents of murdered daughter: Law grad student: Lauren Giddings, who never had a chance to pursue the Bar exam.  (and was killed by a fellow Law student. Go figure.)
  • Mercy Ships (which cruises up and down the African coast).
    I had intended to donate here too, but I've decided instead to start my own line, whose purpose is to raise the awareness of the options in birth control, so the number of unfortunate, deformed births can be drastically reduced. Not to be a hospital, but a distributor of no-cost contraceptives, in that part of the world.

Mr. Groppo

music*'s avatarmusic*

Groppo, You have the right and freedom to do whatever your heart tells you to do. Your list is just as valid as anyone else's. Thanks for sharing. Good luck to you!

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by Groppo on Feb 5, 2019

.

This indeed is one fortunate man.  Though not my first or second choice, that car is awesome. A friend of mine (who sadly later died, unrelated to anything automotive) had one a couple decades ago.

My comment below is not directly related to this article, but I want to amend my intention of distribution, that I've held for a while, should I win a significant prize.
( I doubt I'll ever win any big prize.)

My updated donation list is as follows:

(This list is subject to be updated as this shakey world's situation continues to crumble.)

  • St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
  • LoveShriners.org (children's hospital)
  • The Gaylons, conjoined twins, of Ohio.  Their situation is pitiful and their needs likely grow. The Gaylon boys are currently the oldest conjoined set of twins, in the world.
  • Questionably/Wrongfully convicted Oklahoma Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw.
  • Surviving parents of murdered daughter: Law grad student: Lauren Giddings, who never had a chance to pursue the Bar exam.  (and was killed by a fellow Law student. Go figure.)
  • Mercy Ships (which cruises up and down the African coast).
    I had intended to donate here too, but I've decided instead to start my own line, whose purpose is to raise the awareness of the options in birth control, so the number of unfortunate, deformed births can be drastically reduced. Not to be a hospital, but a distributor of no-cost contraceptives, in that part of the world.

Mr. Groppo

" l had intended to donate here, But l decided to start my own line " line of what Groppo- Ships? 

End of comments
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