A group of school bus transportation workers has been selected as the Missouri Lottery’s January Team of the Month, as part of the Lottery’s Captains Club promotion. The “Lebanon Bus Barn Buzz Bucks Buzzards” has around 35 members, all employees of the Lebanon R III School District.
“Most of us are bus drivers, but some of the shop mechanics and office personnel at the bus barn are in the group also,” explained Etta Brown, spokesperson for the group. “We do not limit anyone who wants to put in a dollar.”
Brown says the team usually plays Powerball twice a week and Mega Millions once or twice a week. Each week a couple of the team members will go to Twin Oaks 1 Stop, 1130 Lynn St., in Lebanon to buy the tickets.
“The girls at Twin Oaks know us by name and are very helpful. Sometimes we will pick the numbers, but usually we let the machine pick them for us,” explained Brown, describing the Quick Pick option for selecting numbers.
Team members are : Michael Bates, Etta Brown, Tammy Brown, David Buckley, Lester Capps, WeeGee Carley, Debra Carter, David Childs, Bobby Crocker, Brian Dampier, Dee Dee Dampier, Connie Dismang, JR Doerr, Dee Dunn, Cindy Durbin, Leo Durbin, Kathy Hicks, Colleen Kennedy, Sam Kerns Cindy Law, Delia Leeper, Carl Light, Kelli Myers, Peggy Nelson, Mike Newell, Missy Perryman, Christy Richardson, Max Starnes, Roland Thompson, Bruce Uder, JoAnn Weaver, and Jason Wright, all of Lebanon; Bob Hendrix and Tammy Walker, both of Phillipsburg; and Dustin Selvy of Eldridge.
The team was formed at the beginning of the school year and has won as much as $152 on a Mega Millions ticket. The team usually rolls any winnings to purchase tickets for the next drawing. Brown said they are dreaming of “when, not if” they ever win a big jackpot.
“We have a big laugh about what the next day will be like around here if we ever win really big. They might have to call off school that day, as most of the drivers would all be on our way to Jefferson City,” confided Brown.
As the Lottery’s Team of the Month, the “Lebanon Bus Barn Buzz Bucks Buzzards” will receive a prize package of Lottery merchandise, as well as a feature on the Lottery’s official website
