VOL. 36 NO. 5
• Cash Cooler Giveaway
• Local Radio Host Wins
• Stanley Classroom Wishlist
• Scratch For Schools
CASH SPECTACULAR’S CASH COOLER
GIVEAWAY
information). Entry periods run Monday–Friday, with the free entry winner announcements each Saturday. (There will be 5 winners of 10 free entries each week)
What could make springtime any better in Idaho than winning a pocket full of cash playing one of the three Cash Spectacular games? How about an entire cooler filled with cash!?
That’s right, the Idaho Lottery is giving away SIX coolers filled with prizes, Lottery tickets and plenty of cash to cool off with when the summer heat arrives.
For six weeks, during May and June, Idaho Lottery players who do not win on their Cash Spectacular tickets can enter all non-winning tickets for a chance to win a cooler and prizes, plus cash – up to $4000!
Each week, players can enter any non-winning ticket through the Lottery’s VIP Club website, or through the Lottery’s app. At the end of each week, one lucky player will be chosen to receive the Cash Cooler. The cooler, scratch tickets, and other prizes are valued at $500. In addition to the cooler, the player will also win a prize, chosen at random, between $500 and $4,000! Watch live on our social channels to see winners reveal their mystery cash prize.
Entries begin on Monday, May 12, 2025. All entries for the next draw must be submitted by 11:59 pm MT the Sunday before the draw. Draws for the random cash prizes begin on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The last draw is Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Entries do not carry over from week to week, so let your players know they need to enter each week for a chance to win.FREE Entries via Social Media (May 12th - June 22nd).
From May 12 onward, the Lottery will post weekly contest announcements every Monday. These posts will introduce the current week’s cooler theme or sponsor (i.e., beach cooler, camping cooler, Fred Meyer cooler), and include a direct link for users to enter the contest for free entries. (Entrants will need to fill out a form with their contact
The best way to cool off this spring is with cold cash, and the best way to win that cash might be the second chance for all non-winning tickets from the Cash Spectacular games. Let your players know to play the Cash Cooler Giveaway when they get their Cash Spectacular tickets today!
Retailer Newsletter Published May 2025
RADIO HOST WINS
$35,000
Kevin Mee wins on Cashword Scratch Ticket
Longtime player and Lottery supporter, Kevin Mee won the top prize on the Lottery’s Cashword Scratch Game, claiming $35,000!
The morning radio show host on 101.9 The Bull in the Treasure and Magic Valleys has won a few second chance draws from the Lottery in the past, but this time, “I really hit the big one!” he exclaimed when he contacted the Lottery about his win. According to Kevin, he had purchased several Cashword tickets to play on a stormy Saturday afternoon. He realized he had completed 9 words and quickly scanned the ticket with the Lottery’s mobile app which showed it was a winner! While Kevin was checking the Lottery’s website to see what he might have won, his wife Brenda realized Kevin had actually scratched 10 words. At the same time, they both realized the ticket was a $35,000 winner.
Along with Brenda, Kevin claimed his winning ticket alongside his poodle, Lady, the “ticket eating dog.” Yes, that’s true –Kevin’s dog, Lady, did once eat a few winning scratch tickets in the past. Luckily for Kevin it wasn’t this one worth $35,000!
“This win is an answer to a prayer to help our family,” said Kevin.
The winning ticket was sold at the ExtraMile Chevron on Fairview Avenue in Meridian near the Fred Meyer.
Dear Retailers,
The legislative session came to an end in early April. The Idaho Lottery achieved our nominal goals for the year including our Rules change that provide retailers with the flexibility to pay winning prizes over $100 and up to $599 with a pre-paid, no-fee gift card. The passage of House Resolution 17 late in the session paved the way to allow this opportunity for all our retail partners.
The Idaho Lottery is very grateful for all your efforts on the front lines with our players as we made the transition to the new price of Mega Millions in early April. The process went better, and smoother, than anticipated. Early indications show that while the number of tickets produced has decreased slightly, revenues have increased substantially. This means increased commission revenue for your stores. When the jackpot rises to a healthy amount and more casual players join in, there may be a small wave of feedback; I am confident that together we are prepared to manage this.
We still have two months to go in our current fiscal year and we are looking forward to finishing the year strong. We remain poised to deliver a promising dividend to the citizens of Idaho this summer. In the absence of multiple, billion-dollar jackpot runs, our achievements this year truly would not be possible without your efforts and continued support from you, our valued retail partners.
Happy Selling,
NEW LIBRARY AT STANLEY SCHOOL
Eighteen months ago, in November 2023, the Idaho Lottery visited Stanley School, at the base of the Sawtooth Mountain Range in central Idaho. The school of 24 students and three classrooms had just received a Bucks for Books award for $3,000.
During that presentation, the school staff showed Lottery representatives the “library.” The library was not a traditional space, rather it was located in the former boys shower, complete with faucets and fixtures. It was one of the more creative uses of space at an elementary school in Idaho.
It was clear the small locker and shower area had outgrown its usefulness with no room to put the new books being purchased from the Bucks for Books award. At the conclusion of the Lottery’s visit, Lottery employees mentioned that if the school ever built a real library that could house all their books, to contact them for a Classroom Wishlist to help build the school new bookcases.
The Stanley School then had discussions with their leaders at the Challis School District. There were funds available from the District to expand and modernize the school with two new classrooms, but the school needed to provide some matching funds. While discussions were taking place, the school’s staff asked how much more was needed to add a library to the expansion. The answer, about $100,000.
So the school set out to raise funds from members of the Stanley and nearby communities. The first donors were from the Janice Seagraves Family Foundation. The Seagraves were from the Hailey area and split a $48 million Powerball jackpot with another family on Christmas in 1996. The fundraising efforts were a success for the small community school.
Fast forward to spring 2025. The addition to the school is complete with two new classrooms and a brand new library space. The school’s upper-elementary teacher is Sammy Forsgren. Sammy is a second-generation resident of Stanley who attended the elementary school in her youth. She now lives in Stanley and teaches in the same building she once attended as a child.
Remembering the Lottery’s offer to provide furniture for the new library, Sammy submitted a Classroom Wishlist award request for bookcases, desks, and comfortable reading chairs for the new
BEFORE AFTER
library. Sammy: Wish granted! Shelves, seating options and a desk were shipped to the school during the winter months. Now, they adorn a bright room with south facing windows that look straight at the Sawtooth Range.
During early April, the Idaho Lottery visited the school again to see the transformation and make a formal “ribbon” cutting for the new library, which quite likely, is the most scenic school library in America.
The Idaho Lottery hosted the most successful series of events for Scratch for Schools in the program’s 24 year history. Exactly 500 schools competed in one of 11 events, from the small intimate venue of the Cambridge Fire Station to the mega-sized event with 108 schools at the Ford Idaho Center.
Originally slated for just 10 events, when US 95 between Council and New Meadows was closed due to the road being washed away, the schools in Council and Cambridge could no longer attend their scheduled event in McCall without a 3 ½ hour, 195 mile journey each way. The Lottery responded to help the schools by quickly scheduling an event in the a community room/kitchen area of the Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department facility.
Like each year, teams of three compete to win prizes. However, sometimes teams of two can be successful. Without a team leader, and one of their participants in a cast for a broken left-elbow, the team from McCall-Donnelly High School in McCall successfully won the day’s event by scratching 191 of the 200 tickets in their pack!
Several schools won close to $1000, including Sawtooth Elementary in Twin Falls, Spirit Lake Elementary in Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint High School in Sandpoint, Hawthorne Middle School in Pocatello, and Barbara Morgan Elementary in McCall. Seven Oaks Elementary in Eagle, though, rose above the others to claim $1,172 during the event in Boise to become one of the largest winners in Scratch for Schools history.
SCAN TO VIEW
THIS YEAR’S EVENT TOTALS:
EVENT
Nampa, Ford Idaho Center
Twin Falls, CSI Rec Center Courts
Lewiston, LCSC Activity Center
Coeur d'Alene, NIC - Edminster Union
Sandpoint/Ponderay, Best Western Plus
Garden City, Expo Idaho Idaho Falls, ISU Ext Salmon, Stagecoach Inn
Pocatello, ISU Union
McCall, First Idaho Bank Community Room
Cambridge, Cambridge Fire Station
$20,620 $4,614 $16,938 $4,986 $1,645
KJ'S #80221, 12150 W FAIRVIEW AVE, BOISE MAVERIK #212, 110 W HIGHWAY 52, EMMETT MAVERIK #298, 510 E USTICK RD, CALDWELL MAVERIK #367, 274 N 16TH ST, PAYETTE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #245, 3775 N EAGLE RD, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #239, 5950 E FRANKLIN RD, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #200, 1133 W CHINDEN BLVD, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #198, 3030 E GREENHURST RD, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #167, 750 N TEN MILE RD, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #162, 3950 W STATE ST, EAGLE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #146, 8000 W OVERLAND RD, BOISE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #123, 2405 VISTA AVE, BOISE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #120, 4400 CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #120, 4400 CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #081, 2689 S FEDERAL WAY, BOISE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #060, 224 22ND AVE S, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #059, 2513 CALDWELL BLVD, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #059, 2513 CALDWELL BLVD, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #059, 2513 CALDWELL BLVD, NAMPA
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #049, 4608 S COLE RD, BOISE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #046, 4190 NEZ PERCE ST, BOISE
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #035, 522 W CHERRY LN, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS FOOD STORE #020, 1107 N CURTIS RD, BOISE
JACKSONS (EM) #184, 4624 E AMITY AVE, NAMPA
JACKSONS (EM) #181, 323 CALDWELL BLVD, NAMPA
JACKSONS (EM) #176, 5644 BUNT ROCK RD, MARSING
JACKSONS (EM) #166, 1745 E OVERLAND RD, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS (EM) #164, 2804 BLAINE ST, CALDWELL
JACKSONS (EM) #147, 122 W SIMPLOT BLVD, CALDWELL
JACKSONS (EM) #118, 1625 W FRANKLIN RD, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS (EM) #098, 1950 E FAIRVIEW AVE, MERIDIAN
JACKSONS (EM) #096, 9804 W FAIRVIEW AVE, BOISE
JACKSONS (EM) #094, 741 N MILWAUKEE ST, BOISE
JACKSONS (EM) #089, 3780 W CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY
HAWK'S ON THE FLY, 518 E STATE ST, EAGLE
HARPO'S CHEVRON, 823 S MAIN ST, CASCADE
CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY FRED MEYER #449, 5425 CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY FRED MEYER #449, 5425 CHINDEN BLVD, GARDEN CITY
CHEVRON, 1086 BANKS LOWMAN RD, GARDEN VALLEY FAST & EASY WEISER, 711 COURT ST, WEISER FRED MEYER #449, 5425
CHEVRON of EMMETT, 1580 S WASHINGTON AVE, EMMETT
LORNA AGLUBAT CHRISTINA SMITH-CORTIE
#1905, 565 JENSEN GROVE
TRAVEL STOP, 10020 S 2000 E, MALAD CITY CJ'S TRAVEL STOP, 10020 S 2000 E, MALAD CITY CJ'S TRAVEL STOP, 10020 S 2000 E, MALAD CITY FRED MEYER #260, 800 YELLOWSTONE AVE, POCATELLO FRED MEYER #260, 800 YELLOWSTONE AVE, POCATELLO JACKSONS FOOD STORE #068, 1107 S 5TH AVE, POCATELLO KJ'S #80217, 226 E 50 S, MALAD CITY KJ'S #80217, 226 E 50 S, MALAD CITY LAST CHANCE #10, 104 S STATE ST, PRESTON MAVERIK #630, 296 E 50 S, MALAD CITY TOP STOP CONVENIENCE STORES, 295 E 50 S, MALAD CITY
10020 S
MALAD
ALBERTSONS #0164, 20 E FAIRVIEW AVE, MERIDIAN ALBERTSONS #3337, 700 E AVALON ST, KUNA ALBERTSONS #3339, 10565 LAKE HAZEL RD, BOISE BROWN'S MOUNTAIN MARKET, 302 VIRGINIA ST, NEW MEADOWS BUD'S, 16345 N MERCHANT WAY, NAMPA
D ALENE JIFF-EE MART, 1604 LINCOLN WAY, COEUR D ALENE MAVERIK #519, 425 W HAYDEN AVE, HAYDEN MITCHELL'S HARVEST FOODS, 5573 U.S. 2, PRIEST RIVER PRAIRIE XPRESS, 55 W PRAIRIE AVE, HAYDEN SUPER 1 FOODSATL, 30585 N ROBERTS RD, ATHOL SUPER 1 FOODSCDA, 305 W KATHLEEN AVE, COEUR D ALENE WALLACE HARVEST FOODS, 800 BANK ST, WALLACE WALMART STORE #4249, 583 COMMERCE DR, SMELTERVILLE WALMART STORE #4249, 583 COMMERCE DR, SMELTERVILLE WATSON GROCERY #103, 712 E MULLAN AVE, OSBURN YOKE'S FRESH MARKET #01, 212 BONNER MALL WAY, PONDERAY
4 3 5 BASE CAMP WARM SPRINGS, 980 WARM SPRINGS RD, KETCHUM FAST STOP #2246, 4230 YELLOWSTONE AVE, CHUBBUCK
SMITH'S #123 FOOD & DRUG, 937 E MAIN ST, BURLEY STINKER STORES #051, 1777 KIMBERLY RD, TWIN FALLS SUNSET SUPER C STORE, 990 SUNSET STRIP, MOUNTAIN HOME TRAVELERS' OASIS TRUCK STOP, 1017 S 1150 E, EDEN $30 DEAL ME IN JACKPOT BUCKS N TRUCKS $30 DEAL ME IN JACKPOT MEGA
SIMERLY'S, 280 S IDAHO ST, WENDELL SIMERLY'S, 280 S IDAHO ST, WENDELL SMITH'S #061 FOOD & DRUG, 4845 YELLOWSTONE AVE, CHUBBUCK
JACKSONS (EM) #236, 1855 AIRBASE RD W 6TH S, MOUNTAIN HOME JACKSONS (EM) #236, 1855 AIRBASE RD W 6TH S, MOUNTAIN HOME LOVE'S TRAVEL STOP #812, 680 E HIGHWAY 30, BLISS MAVERIK #489, 4564 YELLOWSTONE AVE, CHUBBUCK OASIS STOP 'N GO #09, 890 WASHINGTON ST S, TWIN FALLS OASIS STOP 'N GO #13, 361 S STATE ST, HAGERMAN OASIS STOP 'N GO #30, 111 CENTER ST W, KIMBERLY
#572, 10577 W FAIRVIEW AVE, BOISE ON THE FLY, 4780 W STATE ST, BOISE STINKER STORES #032, 1620 N 13TH ST, BOISE STINKER STORES #058, 2550 S APPLE ST, BOISE T.V.C., 6450 S EISENMAN RD, BOISE TOBACCO CONNECTION #005, 2050 W STATE ST, BOISE TOBACCO CONNECTION #037, 414 CLEVELAND BLVD, CALDWELL VALLEY VIEW CHEVRON, 459 HIGHWAY 55, HORSESHOE BEND WALMART #2508 FUEL CENTER, 8256 W OVERLAND RD, BOISE WALMART STORE #2780, 5108 E CLEVELAND BLVD, CALDWELL WALMART STORE #5841, 5001 N TEN MILE RD, MERIDIAN WINCO FOODS #144, 1175 N HAPPY VALLEY RD, NAMPA WINNERS CORNER, 7447 W EMERALD STE 130, BOISE
