VIRGINIA
Brian McCarthy, 25, wins $107M in Mega Millions jackpot
Updated: August 10, 2011 - 06:42 pm
(AP, ABC7) - Imagine the things you would have bought with an unlimited cash supply at 25 years old. For Brian McCarthy, that is now a reality.
McCarthy, originally from McLean, found out about his wining ticket via Facebook.
Six weeks ago, the former Pepsi account manager was getting cash for the July 4th weekend at this Giant grocery store ATM, when he bought five mega millions tickets.
McCarthy wasn’t aware of the $107 million jackpot. He let the computer pick the numbers. Days later, he checked the news online and realized he had the luck of the draw.
“ I jumped out of bed, poured my wallet out and looked at the numbers and I had the ticket,” he said. The second ticket was the lucky one, with the winnings numbers 12-17-30-35-47 and mega ball 26.
“It's a surreal feeling, it’s something you read about in the paper, a lot of good things come with it but a lot of responsibility,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy chose to take a lump sum, it would be about $68.1 million before taxes. The winner can also choose to have the jackpot paid out over 26 annual payments, officials said.
“I bought a car, I took a trip to Ireland, I'm going to Alaska next week with my sister, I want to share it with my family and some charities along the way,” he said.
He donated $25,000 to two local charities including the Herndon Optimist Club, which helps local children.
“We're all volunteers, we're always looking for ways to bring in money so that we can help,” said Jasmine Faubert of the Herndon Optimist Club. She called the gift “absolutely fantastic.”
McCarthy says he's going to take it one day at a time and practice his golf swing.
For one, his grandmother was unfazed by the news. “I said ‘hey granny, I won the lottery’ and she said ‘great, I'm making a grilled cheese, would you like one?’” he recalls.
Lottery revenues help fund public education in the state. Lottery officials say this is the seventh Mega Millions jackpot won in Virginia since the game began in 2002.
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