Lottery Moments

So your friend wins a $10 million lottery prize and asks you to drive him to lottery headquarters to pick up the check. You say, Okay, no problem.

Friends do that.

But not all friends are so handsomely rewarded for their good deeds.

Meet $6 million Megabucks winner Gerold Banick, of Condon, Oregaon.

Six Million Dollar MegabucksSM Man is From Condon!

Banick matched all six numbers in the May 12, MegabucksSM drawing, to win a $6 million prize. He had purchased a a $10 Quick Pick ticket. The big win came in the fifth set of numbers. The winning numbers were 10-19-23-28-31-40. Gerold chose the cash option for prize payment, and received a prize of more than $1.9 million, after state and federal taxes were withheld.

Banick came to the Lottery office in Salem with his neighbors, Floyd “Digger” O’Dell and Digger’s wife, Norma. “Digger is my best friend,” said Banick.

That friendship was apparent when Gerold presented Digger, who did the driving from Condon to Salem, with a $133,000 surprise. Gerold joked, “This was the most expensive cab ride I’ve ever had. I’m just glad I live on the west side of town and not east side that’s farther from Salem!”

A regular Megabucks player, Banick also enjoys Powerball®. When he had his winning Megabucks ticket checked at a supermarket, he found that he also had a winning $10 Powerball ticket. I

Besides his gift to Digger and Norma, Banick says he will take care of some bills, set plans in motion to provide a college education for his granddaughter, and “help out” some others.

You’re my kind of winner, Gerold.

Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is $16 million.
Tomorrow night’s Powerball jackpot is $59 million.

Good luck.