Quick Trip To The Market To Buy Gas Turns Into Life Changing Purchase For Windsor Retiree

Schenectady, NY – A quick trip to a Quick Check Minimart by a Broome County retiree to buy gas for his tractor paid off big dividends after he scratched off a million dollar prize on the Lottery’s “Win $1,000 a Week for Life” instant game.

Windsor native Gary Winans, a sixty-six-year-old Department of Transportation retiree, and Broome County’s first New York Lottery Millionaire in 2008, is guaranteed to receive $1,000 a week for the rest of his life. As long as he keeps living, the Lottery will keep paying this prize; for life.

Winans has been playing Lottery games for years, but just started playing instant games three years ago. “For years I played the numbers games like Lotto and Take 5,” Winans said. “One day I decided to try my luck with the instant games. Talk about a wise decision!”

Winans picked up his winning Win $1,000 a Week for Life instant ticket on Monday, October 20, 2008, at the Quick Check Minimart on Main Street in Windsor during a quick stop to get gas for his tractor. He knew immediately he hit the jackpot and stashed the winning ticket in a file cabinet in his home until he claimed it at the Lottery Customer Service Center in Syracuse on Wednesday, October 22, 2008.

“To tell you the truth I’m still a little numb from all of this,” said Winans, who worked for DOT for 37 years.

The self described “quiet family guy” and his wife of 47 years, Nancy, have two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. “With such a big family the money will certainly come in handy,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t treat myself to a few new toys. Maybe a new set of golf clubs.”

Winans is guaranteed to receive at least $1,000,000 dollars. He will receive his prize in quarterly payments totaling $13,000 each before taxes. His quarterly net check will total $8,859 after required tax withholdings.

Winans win comes just one year after Diane Vaughn of Endicott, NY claimed her jackpot winning Set for Life instant scratch off ticket on October 30, 2007. The Set for Life ticket guarantees a top prize of $5,000 a week for life.