News Releases 11/00
   
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Mount Dora Man Claims $22 Million Lotto Jackpot

NR 11-30-00 ... On Wednesday, Nov 29, a man from Mount Dora claimed the $22 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Nov 22 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Thomas “T.J.” Fisher (71) opted to collect his prize in form of a single cash payment of $11,535,588, rather than receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $733,333 each. "I play Lotto every week and used a Quick Pick to choose my numbers," said T.J., who is retired and has five children and seven grandchildren. "I found out I had the winning numbers in the newspaper the morning after the drawing and I was disbelieving," he expressed.

"The first person I told was one of my relatives. The next day I put my ticket in a safe deposit box," T.J. stated. "Now that I won, all I want is to be comfortable." T.J. bought his lucky ticket at the Cumberland Farm Store, located at 2965 Old 441 in Mount Dora. He is the 13th Florida Lotto winner to either reside in or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in Lake County. T.J. also became the 635th Lotto winner of more than a million dollars since the game began in 1988.

Avon Park Man Claims $636,528 Jackpot On "Win For Life" Scratch-Off Ticket

NR 11-28-00 ... On Wednesday, Nov 22, Bill Dobson of Avon Park scratched off a Florida Lottery Win For Life ticket and revealed the game’s top prize - $1,000 a week, 52 weeks a year, for life! Dobson (67), who is retired from a kitchen supply business, collected his winnings on Nov 27 at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He could have received $1,000 a week for life, but instead chose to take his prize in form of a single cash payment of $636,528 (which is another option in Win For Life).

"I'll pay off the mortgage on the house and help out the kids a little, which they don't really need," Dobson stated. "I don't think it's really going to change my life much. It's not going to change me." But he expressed that Juanita, his wife of 47 years, was a little more excited than he was. "She was very happy about it!" he said. "So far, everyone else has been more excited than me. It really has not dawned on me yet."

The Dobson's have four grown children and ten grandchildren. Two of his children accompanied their father to the state’s capital. Bill Dobson purchased his winning ticket at the Village Lounge, located at 205 W. Main Street in Avon Park, where he usually buys his Lottery tickets. "The owner verified my ticket and put it in the safe for me," he said. "They were more excited about it than I was!"

Bill Dobson is the first top-prize winner of the Lottery's new Win For Life Scratch-Off game, which went on sale Oct 17. Win For Life is one of two Florida Lottery Scratch-Off games with a top prize of at least $1 million, the other being Win $1,000,000.

NR 11-25-00 ... Four players with tickets from Apopka, Miami (2) and Tampa share $328,805 Mega Money jackpot on Friday, Nov 24 !!!

New List Of Lotto Numbers

NR 11-24-00 ... Please find a brand new list of all Lotto numbers in the Archives section. The list is sorted numerically, from smallest drawn number to highest drawn number. For instance, the Nov 22, 2000 draw with numbers 15 - 17 - 33 - 38 - 44 - 53 is listed under number 15. This comprehensive list gives you the opportunity to browse and search for results and to see if your combination has ever been drawn. Enjoy!   Mischa

NR 11-18-00 ... One player with ticket from Lake Park (Palm Beach County) wins $173,215 Mega Money jackpot on Friday, Nov 17 !!!

NR 11-15-00 ... Three players with tickets from Naples, Panama City Beach and Sunrise share $164,240 Mega Money jackpot on Tuesday, Nov 14 !!! Each player receives $54,747.

Final Countdown ... ?       [updated on 12-21-00]

NR 11-14-00 ... Definitely at the Kennedy Space Center when shuttle launches go underway ... but what about our national presidential election? Well, in the spirit of such an interesting race, I have decided to compile two tables detailing every presidential election in the U.S. since the days of George Washington. How close was the election of 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon? To whom did Grover Cleveland lose in 1888, even though he had won in the popular count? Who represented the Free Soil, Greenback-Labor and Prohibition parties in different elections? Which President, when re-elected for a second term, garnered 45% more popular votes but 36% fewer electoral votes than the first time around? And how many votes did Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr muster in a hotly contended election in 1800 - exactly 200 years ago? All the answers to these and other interesting and amazing questions can be found here ... Enjoy!   Mischa

            Presidential Election Results 1789 - 1896            Presidential Election Results 1900 - 2000

NR 11-11-00 ... One player with ticket from Hudson (Pasco County) wins $174,000 Mega $ jackpot on Nov 10 !!!

NR 11-08-00 ... Two players with tickets from Hialeah share $166,000 Mega Money jackpot on Nov 7 !!!

Vero Beach Couple Claims $45 Million Lotto Jackpot

NR 11-07-00 ... On Monday, Nov 6, a Vero Beach couple with two small boys claimed the $45 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Nov 4 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Ruben L. (44) and Judith Metante (41), together with their two sons, drove to the state’s capital on Sunday after discovering their winning numbers in the morning newspaper. The couple opted to collect their prize in form of a single cash payment of $22,764,433, rather than receiving 30 annual installments.

"Absolute shock!", Ruben said was his initial reaction. "I was excited and couldn't believe it." "We were all at the breakfast table Sunday morning when he checked the numbers in the newspaper," Judith said. "When he started screaming and dancing, we knew something was going on. We called my dad and asked him to come over and verify it to make sure we were not just seeing things."

The Metantes are regular Lotto players who have come close to winning in the past. Several years ago, the couple almost hit the jackpot in the Michigan lottery when they matched 5 of 6 numbers and missed the sixth by just one number. Also, a cousin of them was one of the 26 "Bent Pine Lottery Group" players who shared a $67 million Lotto jackpot on July 22nd this year. Indeed, the Metantes’ winning ticket was bought at the same store as the "Bent Pine Lottery Group" winning ticket, namely at the T & S Mobil Mart located in Vero Beach at 4315 20th Street. Both jackpot tickets were Quick Picks.

After allowing another customer to precede him in the line at the store, Ruben purchased $5 worth of Quick Pick tickets. The winning combination turned out to be the last one on his ticket. "I guess we were just lucky," he stated. "I usually check the top number first, but this time I just looked at the bottom number. At first I said 'This can't be right.' Her dad confirmed that is was."

The Metantes have been married for 11 years. Ruben works for an aircraft company, while Judith is a certified nursing assistant. Their long-range plans include wise investments, securing college for their boys and "retirement a lot sooner." As for immediate plans, Judith said, "I have an eight and a half-year-old car and a new one will be one of the first things we do with the money." Ruben expressed, "We have to go on a family vacation. We have not had one in 10 years."

NR 11-04-00 ... One player with ticket from Jacksonville wins $182,845 Mega Money jackpot on Nov 3 !!!

NR 11-01-00 ... Two players with tickets from Dunedin and Safety Harbor share $549,000 Mega Money jackpot on Tuesday, Oct 31 !!!