RAFFLE WINNER!

First thing the day after the Lottery announced the winning numbers in this year’s sold out Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle, Steve Mitchell of Nampa got the phone call of a lifetime from his wife, Kim, telling him they were this year’s winners.

“I was watching the news and saw the winning numbers, so I checked our tickets,” Kim described. “The first one was close! Then I saw the second one. No way! I called Steve immediately and told him we won the Lottery!”

“I thought she was messing with me,” Steve added. “Once she convinced me, I told her I’d be home in a few minutes.” Then he told his work he had to leave because he’d won the Lottery.

Steve and Kim arrived at the Lottery within the first hour of business that morning to claim this year’s $1,000,000 Raffle prize. Last year’s winner waited until twelve days before the ticket was set to expire. “If my wife had her way, she’d have been here at 6:30 this morning,” said an excited Steve.

The couple plan to set aside their winnings for retirement. This year’s winning Raffle ticket was sold at the Maverik on Karcher and Franklin in Nampa. For selling the winning ticket, Maverik earns $20,000.

Nominating Our School Heroes

The Idaho Lottery is finding out what makes someone a school hero. They could be a teacher, an administrator, a food service manager, or a bus driver. Whomever it is, oftentimes the results of their efforts are profound, and the difference-makers are often the unsung heroes of the school.

This winter, the Idaho Lottery is recognizing twenty School Heroes across Idaho as part of their Sweethearts Scratch Game campaign to “Share the Love”. One such hero is Kim Brown, a 5th grade teacher at Lakevue Elementary School in Nampa.

Kim was nominated by one of the parents at her school, Stephanie Calderon. According to Stephanie, two years ago, Kim recognized that a student needed help. Other teachers had disregarded the need as behavior problems. Once Kim became involved, the parents realized their son is autistic and has ADD – two conditions that had gone undiagnosed. Through Kim’s intervention, he is now getting the help he needs to be a successful student.

It is more than just the one student that stands out. Kim attends current and past students’ sports and band performances outside of school time and continually cares for the students in her classroom.

“Never have I met a teacher who truly looks out for her students (past and current) the way she does,” said Stephanie.

That’s why Kim was the first School Hero award winner from the Idaho Lottery. During an assembly with 143 cheering 5th grade students at Lakevue Elementary, Kim received a $250 VISA gift card and other Sweethearts related items. Kirk Vashaw, CEO for Spangler Candy, maker of Sweethearts in Bryan, Ohio, made a special visit to Idaho just for the surprise school presentation and to recognize Kim’s contribution to her school and students.

“We are pleased to partner with the Idaho Lottery and their commitment to support schools in Idaho,” said Kirk Vashaw, CEO of Spangler Candy, maker of Sweethearts. “Community partnership is good business and supporting education benefits everyone.”

“The Idaho Lottery was created to benefit public schools,” said Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “Our School Heroes program this month is one more way we Do Good for the schools and the people who run them every day.”

Players have until January 31st to nominate a school hero. They follow the links for MORE INFO from the Share the Love banner on the Lottery’s homepage.

Meridian Man Celebrates Birthday By Winning Lottery

Last May, the day after completing a series of cancer-related radiation treatments, Radlee Payne had his son pick numbers for his Weekly Grand ticket. That ticket won the game’s jackpot of $1,000 a week for a year, after taxes.

Radlee plays regularly, using his own numbers. One of the prizes for Weekly Grand is receiving a free ticket for matching two winning numbers. Despite playing his own numbers, in the past few weeks he had been winning $200 regularly from his free tickets. Then, around his birthday, Radlee was checking his most recent tickets for winners.

“I thought for sure if I was going to win it would be from the tickets I play regularly, so I set aside the free ticket I had,” described Radlee. “I won $25 on a couple of my regular tickets. Then I scanned the free ticket. I couldn’t believe it, I’d won again!”

Radlee is the only two-time winner of the Weekly Grand jackpot. He purchased this winning ticket from Fred Meyer on Fairview in Meridian.

With cancer hopefully in the rearview mirror, Radlee was definitely looking forward to his upcoming birthday!

Heroes School

KIRK VASHAW - PRESIDENT SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY