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ENLARGE
Roseburg's Donna and Jay King are the newest Megabucks winners after hitting the $10 million jackpot Monday.
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ENLARGE
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Sierra Garza is a clerk at the River Forks Market near Roseburg. She sold a lottery ticket on Monday which won 10-million dollars.
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Jay King walked into River Forks Market on Garden Valley Road for a cup of coffee Monday and left with a $10 million winning lottery ticket.
Talk about quenching your thirst.
The 34-year-old Roseburg resident hit the Oregon Lottery's Megabucks jackpot in the small Garden Valley store this week after also picking up a single $1 lottery ticket. After choosing the lump-sum payment and deducting taxes, King and his wife, Donna, will receive $3.6 million in their bank account today, said Mary Loftin, public affairs manager for the Oregon Lottery.
“It is still just surreal,” King said. “It is a dreamlike feeling.”
The Kings had already told their five children to expect a bad Christmas. Few funds were available to buy presents for the young Kings, ages 12 to 20.
The family has had financial difficulties over the past nine years.
The Kings moved into what they hoped would be a short-term rental and were never able to save up enough cash to make the big move, Jay King said. They had even filed bankruptcy at one point.
Pam Bunnell of Bunnell's Overhead Door Inc. of Roseburg said King was their “lead gutter man” and that he had been with the company since August of 2005. But, she said, with the poor economy she had been unable to give King as many hours as she wanted.
All that changed Tuesday morning.
“I woke up and checked my numbers... I was like, ‘Wait, these all match,' so I called the 1-800 number again, and again ... I got on the computer and (matched the numbers.) Then I decided I better wake my wife up,” King said.
After Donna King did the same checks of the numbers, they decided to take the ticket to a nearby convenience store. They slid it under the ticket machine, King said, and it read “Jackpot Winner.”
The Kings almost immediately got in the car and drove to Salem to the state lottery office to claim their prize. They got stopped by a police officer in Eugene for speeding, King said, but the $300 ticket didn't slow them down much.
“I don't think he believed us,” King said of the ticketing officer. “We probably could have got out of the ticket, but we can pay a little $300 ticket. A couple weeks ago it would have been like ‘Oh man, we can't afford this right now,' but now it is like no problem.”
King said they were focusing on finding a home, probably in the $500,000 range. He wanted it big enough to have some of his nine and his wife's 13 immediate family members be able to come for visits and “share the joy” with them. King said the home would be the foundation to getting their new life started — one that involves a whole lot less work, as they both have already quit their jobs.
“We are not going to go too extravagant and just blow the money,” King said. “(In our) early years we made mistakes with going in debt and put ourselves in a bad situation. That was a life experience we learned from. We are not going to do that again and blow the money and be crazy.”
King said his wife had recently bought a new car to try and increase their credit score. They plan to keep the car and get King a new truck. Vacations, such as a family trip to Disneyland and a real honeymoon for King and his wife, are also on his horizon, King said.
“It couldn't have happened to a better guy. He is a family man and I know he could really use it,” Bunnell said. “(His co-workers) can't believe it. It is like walking out of a really good movie, it just makes you feel good.”
The River Forks Market staff has also been left with a glow of excitement. According to Loftin, the small store will receive a $100,000 selling bonus from the lottery, or 1 percent of King's total winnings.
“I think I've got the magic touch,” River Forks Market employee Sierra Garza said of selling the winning ticket. “It is kind of weird. Who expects to do that?”
Balwinder Kaur of Union City, Calif., the store's owner, said she was “really excited” to hear the news from her nephew Amrik Singh, who manages River Forks Market.
Kaur said she would travel to Roseburg to assess the store's needs when she receives the funds from the winning ticket.
As for the King children, this Christmas is going to be one to remember.
“Basically they have a big Christmas list,” King said. “I think if you unrolled it in the hallway it would make it all the way to the other end.”
• You can reach reporter Heather Morse at 957-4208 or by e-mail at hmorse@nrtoday.com.
Talk about quenching your thirst.
The 34-year-old Roseburg resident hit the Oregon Lottery's Megabucks jackpot in the small Garden Valley store this week after also picking up a single $1 lottery ticket. After choosing the lump-sum payment and deducting taxes, King and his wife, Donna, will receive $3.6 million in their bank account today, said Mary Loftin, public affairs manager for the Oregon Lottery.
“It is still just surreal,” King said. “It is a dreamlike feeling.”
The Kings had already told their five children to expect a bad Christmas. Few funds were available to buy presents for the young Kings, ages 12 to 20.
The family has had financial difficulties over the past nine years.
The Kings moved into what they hoped would be a short-term rental and were never able to save up enough cash to make the big move, Jay King said. They had even filed bankruptcy at one point.
Pam Bunnell of Bunnell's Overhead Door Inc. of Roseburg said King was their “lead gutter man” and that he had been with the company since August of 2005. But, she said, with the poor economy she had been unable to give King as many hours as she wanted.
All that changed Tuesday morning.
“I woke up and checked my numbers... I was like, ‘Wait, these all match,' so I called the 1-800 number again, and again ... I got on the computer and (matched the numbers.) Then I decided I better wake my wife up,” King said.
After Donna King did the same checks of the numbers, they decided to take the ticket to a nearby convenience store. They slid it under the ticket machine, King said, and it read “Jackpot Winner.”
The Kings almost immediately got in the car and drove to Salem to the state lottery office to claim their prize. They got stopped by a police officer in Eugene for speeding, King said, but the $300 ticket didn't slow them down much.
“I don't think he believed us,” King said of the ticketing officer. “We probably could have got out of the ticket, but we can pay a little $300 ticket. A couple weeks ago it would have been like ‘Oh man, we can't afford this right now,' but now it is like no problem.”
King said they were focusing on finding a home, probably in the $500,000 range. He wanted it big enough to have some of his nine and his wife's 13 immediate family members be able to come for visits and “share the joy” with them. King said the home would be the foundation to getting their new life started — one that involves a whole lot less work, as they both have already quit their jobs.
“We are not going to go too extravagant and just blow the money,” King said. “(In our) early years we made mistakes with going in debt and put ourselves in a bad situation. That was a life experience we learned from. We are not going to do that again and blow the money and be crazy.”
King said his wife had recently bought a new car to try and increase their credit score. They plan to keep the car and get King a new truck. Vacations, such as a family trip to Disneyland and a real honeymoon for King and his wife, are also on his horizon, King said.
“It couldn't have happened to a better guy. He is a family man and I know he could really use it,” Bunnell said. “(His co-workers) can't believe it. It is like walking out of a really good movie, it just makes you feel good.”
The River Forks Market staff has also been left with a glow of excitement. According to Loftin, the small store will receive a $100,000 selling bonus from the lottery, or 1 percent of King's total winnings.
“I think I've got the magic touch,” River Forks Market employee Sierra Garza said of selling the winning ticket. “It is kind of weird. Who expects to do that?”
Balwinder Kaur of Union City, Calif., the store's owner, said she was “really excited” to hear the news from her nephew Amrik Singh, who manages River Forks Market.
Kaur said she would travel to Roseburg to assess the store's needs when she receives the funds from the winning ticket.
As for the King children, this Christmas is going to be one to remember.
“Basically they have a big Christmas list,” King said. “I think if you unrolled it in the hallway it would make it all the way to the other end.”
• You can reach reporter Heather Morse at 957-4208 or by e-mail at hmorse@nrtoday.com.
