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Luck and Mom Help Lottery Winners

CHICAGO, Illinois – (Press Release) -- When Chicago residents Ezekiel "Zeek" Garnett and his sister, Karen, bought their weekly Lotto ticket in Niles on October 4, they didn't even bother to check the numbers before they threw it away. But, after their mother heard there was a winning ticket sold in Niles, she was determined to find it -- just in case. Because of the garbage strike, she was in luck -- even more luck than she knew. A winning ticket worth $10.5 million was inside one of the trash bags waiting to be picked up.

Today, Lottery Superintendent Carolyn Adams, in her first check presentation to a winner, presented Zeek, 27, and Karen, 24, with a commemorative, oversized check for matching all six numbers in the October 4, 2003 Lotto drawing. Zeek said he didn't believe Karen at first when she told him the news.

"She just kept on so I checked the numbers again," said Zeek. "This (win) will definitely help me live more comfortably! But, I'm still keeping my job at UPS," he said.

Karen, who is a baggage screener at Midway Airport, plans to use part of her share to take the trip to Hawaii she has always dreamed about.

"I always thought maybe I could go there on my honeymoon, but now it looks like I can go sooner!" she said. Karen also plans to pay off her bills and buy her own home.

Golf Mill Shopping Mall in Niles will receive a one percent bonus ($105,000) for selling the winning ticket. The winning numbers for the Lotto drawing were: 12-14-15-31-37-46. Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:22 p.m. and broadcast live on WGN-TV. Tickets cost $1 and prizes range from $3 to the grand prize.

Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery is a state agency with annual sales of nearly $1.6 billion. All Lottery profits are deposited into the state's Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools. Players must be at least 18 years old.

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