(AUSTIN) – William G. Cather of Euless is breathing a sigh of relief knowing that his recent retirement can withstand the slings and arrows of a tough economy, thanks to the $1 million prize he won playing Mega Millions® on Tuesday night.
“I was at Albertson’s on Tuesday and had $10 left after grocery shopping, so I bought five Mega Millions Quick Picks that I megaplied,” Cather said. “I didn’t check my numbers until this morning.”
Like everyone else who wins a major prize, Cather and his spouse were incredulous.
“I double-checked my ticket three times on the Lottery Web site, and then made my wife look at it, too,” he said. “Even then, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”
Having the ticket double-checked by a retailer made believers out of Mr. and Mrs. Cather.
“The first thing my wife said was, ‘We’re going to invest this,’” he said. “It’s true, too, because the only phone call I’ve made regarding this prize is to my financial investor, who is very happy about this, almost as much as we are.”
Cather says that ever since he retired a few years ago, he and his wife have been on a fixed income, which has curtailed some of his previous expenditures.
“I used to buy Lotto and Mega Millions tickets for both drawings every week, but since I retired, I play less frequently and not until Mega Millions hits $50 million,” he said. “As a result of this win, I’m planning to play again this weekend. You just never know.”
“The Megaplier feature has been popular with our players since we introduced Mega Millions in 1993,” said Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Anthony J. Sadberry. “This is a game enhancement that has helped us in our mission to generate revenue for the Foundation School Fund.”
Cather said he and his wife will celebrate the win by going out to dinner at JR’s Steakhouse in Colleyville.
“I’ll probably be on the phone a lot this week talking to family and friends, letting them know about this,” he said. “This has certainly amplified my comfort zone in retirement.”
He bought the ticket at Albertson’s #4270, which is located at 4000 Glade Road in Colleyville.
Tonight’s Mega Millions® jackpot is worth an estimated $75 million. Tomorrow’s Lotto Texas® jackpot is worth estimated at $15 million.
