SACRAMENTO – The California Lottery’s newest millionaire was crowned this weekend when Claude Coleman of Eureka won $3 million on The Big Spin show which aired statewide Saturday, April 7, 2007. This weekend a total of $3,212,500 was won by Big Spin contestants!
Coleman went to the Big Spin wheel after outplaying nine other contestants in Aces High. When he gave a turn of the Big Spin wheel, excitement filled the air when the ball landed on the “TRIPLE” spoke, giving him the opportunity to triple his prize. When the ball landed on the “$1 MILLION” spoke, giving Coleman a $3 million prize, he couldn’t stop the tears from falling! Coleman, a father of four sons, owns his own private medical assisting school. “I’m probably going to 
upgrade the school and open another school in Crescent.” His son was also thinking of a trip to Hawaii! Coleman will receive $150,000 a year, before taxes, for the next 20 years. He purchased his ticket at Stop & Shop in Eureka.
Three contestants took their chances at the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine. Aaron Alino, from San Jose, won $75,000. He would like to take a vacation to the Philippines and save for his children’s college education. Noemi Barajas, from Whittier, walked away with $60,000. “I want to adopt a second child and stay home with them.” Leon Ackopiantz of Rancho Palos Verdes earned $55,000 on the "Dream Machine." He’s taking a trip to the Bahamas.
| Claude Coleman |
Eureka |
$3,000,000 |
| Aaron Alino |
San Jose |
$75,000 |
| Noemi Barajas |
Whittier |
$60,000 |
| Leon Ackopiantz |
Rancho Palos Verdes |
$55,000 |
| Kathleen Love |
Daly City |
$5,000 |
| Calvin Thomas |
North Hollywood |
$4,000 |
| Tina Hernandez |
Mercer, Missouri |
$2,500 |
| Robert Butler |
Los Angeles |
$2,000 |
| Jesus Tapia |
Los Angeles |
$2,000 |
| Victoria Rios |
San Jose |
$1,750 |
| Mark Barone |
Long Beach |
$1,750 |
| Carlos Garcia |
Perris |
$1,750 |
| Mary Yegeyan |
North Hollywood |
$1,750 |
| |
TOTAL |
$3,212,500 |
Public education in California receives at least 34 cents of every dollar players spend on Lottery products. The California Lottery contributed a record $1.28 billion to public education in 2005-06 out of historic sales of $3.58 billion, the sixth year in a row the Lottery has provided more than $1 billion in supplemental funding for education. Since the Lottery began in 1985, it has contributed more than $18 billion to California schools.