Co-Workers Spend $5 on a New York Mega Millions Ticket; Win $250,000 2nd Prize

The New York Lottery today announced 10 Rockland County Highway Department employees have claimed one of two second-prize winning tickets for the Mega Millions drawing held on January 26, 2010. The group, representing winners from Stony Point, New City, Nanuet, Newburgh, West Haverstraw and Tafton, Pennsylvania collected the $250,000 cash prize on January 28, 2010 at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Fishkill.

The winners, ranging in age from 35 to 58 years old, all work as mechanics or operators for the County Highway Department. Group spokesman Robert Kezek said they pooled their money to buy a Mega Millions ticket because the jackpot was high.

"We always buy Mega Millions tickets when the jackpot reaches $75,000,000 or more," he said. Plans for the prize money vary by winner but include, paying bills, remodeling homes and going on vacation, among other things.

The group purchased its winning Quick Pick ticket at the Ishani Stationery, Thiells Mt. Ivy Road in Pomona. The other second-prize winning ticket for the January 26th Mega Millions drawing was claimed on January 27th by Wendy Stucchio of Staten Island.

The winning numbers from the January 26, 2010 Mega Millions drawing were: 7 8 38 39 48 and 22.

To win the $250,000 second prize in New York's Mega Millions game, a player must match the first five numbers as drawn. To win the jackpot, players match the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 176 million. The odds of winning second prize are 1 in 3.9 million.

The New York Lottery contributed nearly $2.54 billion in fiscal year 2008-09 to help support education in New York State, over 12 percent of total state education funding to local school districts. The Lottery's ongoing commitment to education also includes the awarding of more than 1,100 Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Scholarships annually to high school students pursuing their higher education in New York State. Since the program's inception in 1999, the Lottery has awarded more than 10,300 scholarships. The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning over $36.7 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago.

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