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Store basks in Lotto glow
By ERIC STIRGUS © St. Petersburg Times, published April 6, 2001 SEMINOLE -- Okay, so who has it? Who is the lucky soul sitting on a lottery ticket worth 3-million big ones? The giddy employees at the Cumberland Farms convenience store at 5401 Seminole Blvd. were trying to figure it out Thursday, after Florida Lottery officials confirmed the winning ticket from Wednesday night's Lotto jackpot was sold there. "You'd think we won it ourselves," said the store's assistant manager, Linda Davis. "We're so excited." "Yeah!" another worker yelled. Store workers had no clue they had sold the winning ticket until they got a call from a customer who heard the ticket was sold in Seminole. As customers trickled to the store throughout the day, many rushed back home to check their tickets. As of Thursday afternoon, the winner was still unknown to the store's 12 employees. "We've asked them all, but so far, it's still a mystery," said Davis. The store has about 700 regular customers, workers said. Just in case you haven't checked your ticket, the winning numbers were: 15, 30, 37, 38, 45, 47. "The numbers don't look familiar to me," said store manager Donna Jackson. "My gut feeling is it was a quick pick. We are just dying to know who it is." The Cumberland Farms, open about 13 years, has never sold a winning Florida Lotto ticket. There are 600 businesses in Pinellas County that sell Florida Lottery tickets, state officials said. The store was abuzz with activity Thursday as Florida Lottery officials posted a 3-by-5 sign in the front window that read: "Lotto Winning Ticket Sold Here." Employees were given small buttons noting that they work in the store that sold a winning ticket. Davis summed up the emotions of her co-workers. "This is the coolest thing," she said.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
