SACRAMENTO – What happens when you spin The Big Spin wheel and it lands on the “TRIPLE” spoke? You get to spin again tripling your prize! This was the scenario for Patrick Shea and his proxy Jenny. Patrick Shea, a retiree from Whittier, was unable to attend The Big Spin show due to medical reasons so he was given a proxy to play in his place. She turned out to be his good luck charm outplaying nine other contestants in Aces High to get to the big wheel. The second spin landed on “$100,000” giving him a $300,000 win! When Jenny called Shea to tell him the good news he replied, “Are you kidding?”
On The Big Spin show three contestants won a total of $350,000. The show aired statewide Saturday, September 29, 2007. This week a grand total of $372,500 was won by Big Spin contestants!
Marina Perez, a Costco employee 
from Fremont, bought her Scratchers® ticket early one morning and put it in her purse without scratching it. “I felt myself feeling nervous the whole day and I couldn’t figure out why,” explained Perez, “When I got home I scratched the ticket and saw the three “Spin” symbols and called my husband and son right away to tell them I was going to The Big Spin show to spin the wheel!” Perez took home $30,000 which she plans to share with family and friends and travel to Chile. When asked if Perez had a good luck charm she said, “God is my good luck charm.”
Gaylord “Buster” Vanderpluym, a lumber yard worker from Salinas, played Fantasy 5 Dream Machine. “I think I’ll share the money with my family and maybe get a new truck,” said Vanderpluym after winning a $20,000 cash prize.
| Patrick Shea |
Whittier |
$300,000 |
| Marina Perez |
Fremont |
$30,000 |
| Gaylord Vanderpluym |
Salinas |
$20,000 |
| Socorro Farias |
Garden Grove |
$5,000 |
| Hugo Ortega |
Moreno Valley |
$4,000 |
| Bobbie Carlson |
Rancho Palos Verdes |
$2,500 |
| Peggy Chambers |
Fair Oaks |
$2,000 |
| Otto Tihanyi |
Santa Barbara |
$2,000 |
| Monette Dino |
Los Angeles |
$1,750 |
| Eric Wimberly |
Rancho Cucamonga |
$1,750 |
| Henry Davies |
Los Angeles |
$1,750 |
| Matthew Martino |
Castaic |
$1,750
|
| |
TOTAL |
$372,500 |
For high resolution copies of photos of Marina Perez or Gaylord Vanderpluym please contact Olga Gallardo in the Corporate Communications Office or e-mail ogallardo@calottery.com.
The California State Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed more than $19 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $52 billion. Retailers win too, earning $3.3 billion in compensation since 1985.