Retired Farmer Wins Florida Lotto Jackpot

Friday, May 11, 2007 posted 10:26 AM EDT

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Lottery announced today FLORIDA LOTTO winner William Cody, 68, of Lake Hamilton, claimed the May 5 estimated $3 million FLORIDA LOTTO jackpot.

Cody, a retired farmer, chose the one time lump sum payment for his winnings in the amount of $1,939,349.70. The winning FLORIDA LOTTO ticket was purchased at the Smith¿s Grocery & Deli located at 829 Alternate 27 and Kokomo Road, which received a bonus incentive of $10,000 for selling the top prize winning ticket. The winning numbers were: 14 - 23 - 28 - 50 - 52 - 53

Cody, who enjoys playing Florida Lottery On-line and Scratch-Off games, purchased several Quick Pick tickets for this draw, as well as playing numbers he choose.

"Numbers were just coming to me," Cody said. "I had played these numbers before and something told me to play them again."

The day after the drawing, Cody visited the store where he had purchased his ticket and was told by a Florida Lottery retailer that the winning ticket had been purchased there. Cody asked for a printout of the winning numbers and went home to check his ticket. He found he had the winning numbers.

"I looked at that ticket a long time," Cody said. "I was up until four in the morningthinking about winning the game."

Soon after realizing he was a winner, Cody called his eldest son, William, Jr., and asked him to come home. Without asking why, William, Jr. and his wife, Kathleen, headed to Florida. They drove from Rochester, New York, in a day.

Cody said he hasn¿t any immediate plans for the money and intends to put it in the bank.William, Jr., said they will get the family together to celebrate his father's upcoming birthday with a family reunion. Cody's 13 children, grandchildren, great-grand children and his one great-great-grand child will all join him for cake and congratulations.

Total ticket sales for this jackpot generated approximately $2.4 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF). Since 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed more than $17 billion to the EETF, benefiting our students and schools, as well as funding more than 300,000 Bright Futures scholarships. By a two-to-one margin, Florida voters in 1986 approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to operate a Lottery for the purpose of generating significant additional moneys for education.

Cody is the 28th FLORIDA LOTTO winner to purchase a winning ticket in Polk County. He is the 876th FLORIDA LOTTO winner since 1988.

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