Sullivan County resident claims $126 million Mega Millions jackpot

Drawing Date: 2/27/2015

March 18, 2015 - The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega returned to Sullivan County for the second time in two months today to present another multimillion ceremonial prize check to a nationwide Lottery winner. Tammy Pratt, 47, of South Fallsburg was the sole winner of the $126 million Mega Millions jackpot drawing of February 27, 2015. Pratt, a real estate broker, is the second Sullivan County Mega Millions jackpot winner in two months after the announcement in January of Harold Diamond of Wurtsboro winning a $326 million Mega Millions jackpot.

Pratt told Vega she only buys lottery tickets when the jackpot is over $100 million. “I was between appointments and stopped to buy gas at the Mobil station in South Fallsburg,” said Pratt. “I saw that the Mega Millions jackpot for that evening’s drawing was $126 million, so I decided to buy a ticket.”

Pratt said she usually buys only one ticket and uses the Quick Pick feature to pick her numbers. “I normally buy only one ticket when the jackpot is high, but this time I bought $4 worth. I just had a feeling I should get more than one,” said Pratt.

Pratt said she woke up the next morning and wondered if anyone had won the jackpot. “It was a little unusual for me to think about the drawing from the night before, so I checked my ticket online. I saw that someone purchased the winning ticket in South Fallsburg. Then I saw it was purchased at the same store where I bought my ticket and I thought ‘Oh my God! Could the winner be me?’ Then I checked the numbers and saw that they all matched up! I was just in shock,” Pratt said.

Because she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, Pratt asked her husband, John, to check her ticket. “I asked John to double check my numbers because I wanted to be sure. He confirmed that all the numbers matched, and we were both just overwhelmed,” Pratt recalled.

The winning numbers for the February 27, 2015 Mega Millions drawing were 07 49 53 60 64 and Mega Ball 04. The winning ticket was purchased at the South Fallsburgh Food Mart at 5105 Main Street in South Fallsburg. The Food Mart will receive a $10,000 bonus for its role in selling the jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket.

Pratt is planning to take her prize in one lump sum of $81.6 million, net approximately $54 million after required withholdings.

When asked about her plans for the money Pratt said, “I consider this win a great blessing and it is very humbling. I know I want to save some of the money for college tuition for my children. After that, I think I’ll just take some time to think about the future and make a decision after that.”