Rebecca Hargrove, second from right, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery, presents a ceremonial check to John Robinson, right; his wife, Lisa, second from left; and their daughter, Tiffany, left; after the Robinson’s winning Powerball ticket was authenticated at the Tennessee Lottery headquarters Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
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The Tennessee couple lives near the store where the winning ticket was bought and said they will reach out to Tennessee lottery officials later Friday. “I don’t really want that now”, said Lisa Robinson, who works in a dermatologist’s office.
Long Islanders-and New Yorkers in general-may not have lucked out in winning the record-breaking $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot this week, but two third-prize-winning tickets were sold on the South Fork.
Only after checking the numbers three times did she alert her husband about their potential windfall – $528.8 million before taxes if they accept annual payments for 29 years, or $337 million if they opt for a one-off lump sum.
A couple who claims to own one of the winning Powerball tickets appeared on the Today Show for an exclusive in-studio interview. So he stopped at Naifeh’s Food Market, purchased four tickets at 6:56 p.m. and then drove home and handed them to his wife. “I never wanted that in the past”. They bought four tickets at a local market on their way home before the drawing Wednesday night. He added that he decided “those numbers were as good as any”, and went with it. “How lucky that the first time I played, I won!” he concluded, to which, yeah, sure. Saying they had slept only one hour in the last 48, they excused themselves from the press conference to get rest.
It was the largest lottery prize ever offered in North America, and no other lottery in the world had ever featured a jackpot of that size that could be won on a single ticket.
According to her Facebook page, Lisa works at a dermatology clinic and went to Munford High School. After their quick New York City adventure, they’ll fly straight to Nashville to turn in their Powerball slip, the couple said.
“Actually, (I was) a little scared because I didn’t know exactly what to do, ” John said. The store will receive a $1,000,000 bonus, lottery officials said.
The Tennessee couple who says they have one of three winning Powerball tickets is being described as a hard-working, dependable family.
Winners have up to a year to claim their prize.
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But wait, a co-worker told her, you may want to look at your ticket because someone bought a winning $1 million ticket at the Wawa on Urbana Pike in Frederick.
