RELEASE DATE: 6/13/2012
SACRAMENTO – The numbers are baffling. The jackpot in the MEGA Millions draw on Tuesday, May 29 was huge -- $32 million. That money will soon be Cindy Huynh’s to enjoy.
Huynh walked into the California Lottery’s Santa Ana District Office and submitted her winning ticket. That lucky little slip of paper hit the numbers 2, 14, 29, 53, 55 and the Mega number of 31. The riches are so overwhelming that Huynh said she has barely slept or eaten since realizing that she, and only she, can lay claim to the jackpot prize.
Also stunning, is what Huynh had been doing with her ticket since she purchased it at Aquapuro, which is located at 1151 East Holt Avenue in Pomona (Los Angeles County). Huynh had the slip buried in her purse. She casually carried the bag and ticket around, often setting the purse down, completely unaware of the paper’s colossal value. That nonchalant attitude quickly changed the moment she checked the numbers on her Quick Pick® ticket. Huynh immediately went into a protective mode. “I hid it. I made a photo copy to show my family members. I hid the original,” Huynh explained.
Even though the ticket is now safely out of her hands, she is unable to relax and talk about her future plans. “My mind is kind of blank. I need to calm down first,” Huynh said.
She isn’t the only one financially impacted by the draw. The retailer, Aquapuro, will receive $160,000 for selling the winning ticket.
A different ticket sold in Rancho Santa Margarita (Orange County) matched five numbers. Lottery player Darrell Norris said the $179,442 he won is more than enough to keep him from feeling bad about missing the Mega. “I’m pretty excited for them,” Norris said.
May was a tremendous month for California Lottery Players. On May 15, a ticket sold in Los Angeles hit a MEGA Millions jackpot worth $25 million and has since been claimed. However, a SuperLotto Plus® ticket that hit a $23 million jackpot on Wednesday, May 30 remains unclaimed! That ticket was purchased at Michael’s Market & Liquor, which is located at 37935 47th Street East in Palmdale (Los Angeles County). The winning numbers were 14, 7, 26, 31, 23 and Mega 5.
The California Lottery reminds winners to sign the back of their ticket, keep tickets in a safe place and contact Lottery officials or visit their local Lottery District Office as soon as possible. Winners have one year from the date of the draw to claim the MEGA Millions jackpot prize. Winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim all other prizes.
MEGA Millions is a multistate game, played in California and 43 other jurisdictions (41 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Players pick five numbers from 1 to 56 plus a Mega number from 1 to 46. Draw times are Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. PST. Tickets are $1 and can be purchased from any of the more than 21,000 California Lottery retailers. Please visit the California Lottery’s MEGA Millions site for more information.
The mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California schools while simultaneously supporting local communities. More than 94 cents of every dollar spent by our players goes back to local communities in the form of contributions to public schools and colleges, prizes and retail compensation. Since 2000, Lottery players have contributed $1 billion to public schools each year, and, since we began in 1985, Lottery players have contributed a total of more than $24 billion to education. The California Lottery urges its customers to play responsibly and within their budgets. If you feel you have a gambling problem, or know someone who does, you can get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.
www.calottery.com