The caption on screen even put “winning ticket” in quotes.
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She said they knew they had the right numbers, but it isn’t real until lottery officials verify them.
“You just can’t sit down, lay down and not do nothing anymore”, said John Robinson, who with his wife will be awarded a $327.8 million lump sum payment.
Robinson said earlier in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show that he and his wife, Lisa, want to help out certain friends, give to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and donate to their church.
He did and then thought: “Well, I’ll believe it when the news comes in on the morning and they say there’s a victor been in Munford”.
“They’re small-town people who appreciate community, appreciate family values”.
California lottery officials said the state’s victor has not come forward yet.
In Macomb and Oakland, eight winning $50,000 tickets were sold – four in each county. The couple is in their middle 50s.
Back at home, neighbors are waiting on the Robinson’s grand return. The Robinsons bought the winning ticket at local food mart.
Levy, who did not see the winning numbers himself, described the victor as a 62-year-old married mom of seven kids – six of them nurses themselves.
Powerball hysteria gripped the nation this week as the jackpot reached a record $1.6 billion. Rechnitz tells the station that the prank is “despicable” and he will pay for an all-expenses vacation anywhere the nurse and her family would like to go.
Later in the day, a Tennessee Lottery official confirmed that John Robinson was one of the big winners.
Florida Lottery says Frederick Walker, 19, claimed a $2 million prize on Thursday, one day after the drawing for the record-setting $1.6 billion jackpot.
Those winners have not been announced yet.
The Tennessee couple live near the store where the winning ticket was bought.
“That’s a lot of winning tickets”, said David Workman, Idaho Lottery public information specialist.
The couple, who have a son and daughter, chose to appear on TV first before claiming the jackpot, on the advice of their lawyer.
He said he wasn’t feeling well when he arrived at home.
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There were also winners in the quiet Los Angeles suburb of Chino Hills and at a supermarket in affluent Melbourne Beach, on Florida’s Space Coast.
