Retired pilot takes to skies with $250,000 mega prize

Monday, October 5, 2009

ATLANTA – A retired airline pilot has an exciting ticket toward a quarter-million dollars in lottery winnings. Charles Wilkes of Winston, who is retired from Delta Air Lines, matched the first five winning numbers in the Sept. 29 Mega Millions drawing, winning a second prize of $250,000.

He purchased the Quik Pik ticket at Clayton Oil Food Mart #0002, 7656 Highway 441 N. in Dillard. Winning numbers from the Sept. 29 drawing were: 2-21-25-45-50 and the Mega Ball was 21.

"It was so shocking," he said. "I sent my wife to the computer to check the results, and we both agreed that our prize is good."

Wilkes, 71, and his wife, Pat, have no immediate plans for their lottery win. The couple have three adult children and four grandchildren.

"We're settled in life, and we consider winning the prize a good thing," he said.

Mrs. Wilkes quipped that her husband especially is lucky because "he married me."

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned more than $11 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program. More than 1.1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 940,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

For more information, please visit the Media Center on the Georgia Lottery Web site at:
www.galottery.com

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Tandi Reddick
Media Relations Manager

P 404.215.5062
F 404.215.8983
media [at] galottery [dot] org

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