Australia Lotto Winner Pledges To Help Farmers
A lucky ticket holder from Sydney who won just over AU$622,000 in the Australia Saturday Lotto has revealed his intention to use some of the winnings to help drought-stricken farmers in the country.
One of Seven Jackpot Winners
The winner was one of seven players to match all six main numbers on 18th August – 6, 17, 19, 26, 37 and 38 – resulting in the $4.3 million jackpot being equally divided seven ways. Four of the top prize winners came from the state of New South Wales, with two from Victoria and one from South Australia.
The kind-hearted player, aged in his 40s, found out he was one of the Saturday Lotto jackpot winners after he was contacted by an official from the New South Wales Lotteries on the Monday morning following the draw.
He revealed he initially thought the phone call from the lottery official was a joke, but said he would make a ‘substantial donation’ to farmers impacted by a drought that has affected all of New South Wales and over half of Queensland. Farmers in these regions have struggled to feed their livestock, and many of those animals that have not died from starvation have been sold or slaughtered.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently announced an additional AU$1.8 billion in funding to help the stricken farmers, and the latest Lotto winner has pledged to make his own contribution to the ongoing crisis. He said: “We were going to give a donation to the drought fund, but we can increase that now and make it more substantial. I think if we're blessed with something like this, we should pass it on.” The winner, who decided to remain anonymous, also said that the money would pay off the mortgage and go towards the education of his children.
Teacher Retires After Winning Saturday Lotto Jackpot
An unemployed teacher from Perth has declared he will take immediate retirement after scooping nearly AU$672,000 in an Australia Saturday Lotto draw on 11th August. The lucky ticket holder was one of six players to match all six numbers on the night to take a share of the AU$4 million jackpot. The man purchased his winning ticket from the Cockburn Gateway Lottery Centre in the suburb of Success, south of Perth.
Talking about the moment he found out that he had won, he said: “When they told me I had all six [main numbers], I was trembling. The adrenaline has soared through me and now I’m focused on how to sensibly make this money last the distance. I was feeling so unlucky and down, even after I saw I had the first four numbers, I didn't think I was a big prize winner.”
Explaining his decision to take immediate retirement from his job as a teacher, he said: “I've always been a teacher and the work has really dried up over the past few months. The lack of work and uncertainty of being able to support myself in my imminent retirement really got me down.”
The jackpot for the upcoming draw on 25th August currently stands at AU$4 million, and you can choose your numbers online from various locations around the world by visiting our dedicated Australia Saturday Lotto page.