SACRAMENTO –Ronald Roberson, a retiree and volunteer from California Valley, came forward today as the winner of the $362,830 Fantasy 5 jackpot from Thursday, June 14, 2007.
Roberson checked the California Lottery website Thursday night after not catching all the numbers on television. “When I realized that I had won I ran to tell my wife and we started screaming for joy!” Roberson said they started calling everyone and that at the end of the day even the fire department, where he volunteers as a medical first responder, knew that he had won.
He and his wife, Dixie said they are never lucky nor have won a prize this big. They hope to invest half of their prize and enjoy the rest. The Robersons added that they are also looking forward to celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary next week and may use some of the money to treat themselves to a nice present. Dixie joked about having a rich husband after so many years.
Roberson purchased the winning Fantasy 5 ticket at A-1 Liquor & Deli in the city of Templeton in San Luis Obispo County. For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a bonus of $1,814.
Public education in California receives at least 34 cents of every dollar players spend on Lottery products. The California Lottery contributed $1.28 billion to public education in 2005-06 out of sales of $3.58 billion, the sixth year in a row the Lottery has provided more than $1 billion in supplemental funding for education. Retailers won too, earning over $252 million in compensation last year selling Lottery products. Since the Lottery began in 1985, it has contributed more than $18 billion to California schools.