SACRAMENTO - The California Lottery's TV game show, "Make Me a Millionaire," awarded $117,000 in cash and prizes to 12 lucky contestants this week.
Jose Martinez, a single father from Pomona, walked away with $24,000 after playing the Safe Cracker game. Martinez plans to use a portion of his prize to help ring in his daughter’s 15th birthday. “I gave her the choice between having a
quinceañera or going to Hawaii,” he said. “Now I can give her both!”
Two other contestants – Eric Sonne of Seaside and William Boman of Lee Vining – won a new car, the Limited Edition California Jetta made by Volkswagen. Bowman and his wife of forty-one years manage the Murphy’s Motel on the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park. Sonne, a small business owner, won his way onto the game show after his wife purchased Scratchers tickets for him on his birthday. He said he wasn’t nervous on the show because he has experience acting in community theater.
This week’s winners:
| Jose Martinez |
Safe Cracker |
Pomona |
$24,000 |
| William Boman |
Lucky Penny |
Lee Vining |
Volkswagen Jetta |
| Eric Sonne |
Lucky Penny |
Seaside |
Volkswagen Jetta |
The California Lottery believes in creating a better, more sustainable environment for future generations. That is why all cars given away on “Make Me a Millionaire” are fuel efficient and use clean innovative technologies. All new car winners on this week’s episode won a Limited Edition California Jetta.
For more information about “Make Me a Millionaire,” visit www.calottery.com. For high resolution photos, please contact (916) 324-9639 or e-mail newsroom@calottery.com.
More than 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to the community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail commissions. The California 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 nearly $21 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $56 billion. Retailers benefit too, earning $3.6 billion in compensation since 1985.