Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

God is in the details for Powerball winner
Washington Times | 12/27/02 | Gavin McCormick, AP

Posted on 12/27/2002 12:16:35 AM PST by kattracks

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. thanks God that he picked the six numbers that won him the $314.9 million Christmas Day Powerball jackpot, and he's putting up the money to prove it.
Top Stories
• U.N. nuke agency hits N. Korea
• A star is scorned
• Pakistan arrests 6 in attack on church
• Taiwan report predicts rise in aggression by China
• New York supplies nation's top cops
• Retailers seek to salvage poor season

     "The very first thing I'm going to do is go home and make out three checks to three pastors," Mr. Whittaker said. Those checks, a tithe to the Church of God, will total $17 million.
     "Seventeen million in the state of West Virginia will really do good for the poor," he said, adding that the three pastors will control the money and perhaps establish a Christian school.
     The 55-year-old contractor, who won the largest single-winner lottery jackpot in history, opted to take a lump sum of $170 million before taxes, instead of 30 annual installments. The lump sum is worth more than $111 million after taxes, lottery spokeswoman Nancy Bulla said.
     "I just want to thank God for letting me pick the right numbers, or letting the machine pick the right numbers," said Mr. Whittaker, who claimed his winnings dressed in black and wearing a big, black cowboy hat.
     Mr. Whittaker lives in the small town of Scott Depot, about 20 miles west of Charleston, and is president of three construction companies that build sewage-treatment plants and other water projects.
     "I've had to work for everything in my life. This is the first thing that's ever been given to me," he said.
     Mr. Whittaker said he originally thought he had lost the jackpot because the numbers came up wrong on the televised drawing Christmas night. It wasn't until yesterday morning that he realized he won.
     His wife of 36 years said she plans to go to Israel.
     "I'd just go to go there. It's where Jesus walked," Jewell Whittaker said.
     The couple planned to travel to New York City last night.
     Mr. Whittaker said he would share the rest of his winnings with his family, and may expand his business. He has a daughter named Ginger and a 15-year-old granddaughter.
     Ginger McMahan said she had cancer twice and had not worked for about a year. "I was getting ready to go back to work, but I think I'm retired now," she said.
     Mr. Whittaker also said he wants to help "people who want to better themselves to have a better life."
     "I'm getting really excited because of the good works I can do with this money," he said.
     He said little about buying luxuries for himself — aside from a helicopter he said he had had his eye on for a while.
     "I have 25 people laid off right now at Christmas, and I want more work so I can put them back to work," he said. He now employs 117 persons.
     He told Miss Bulla he was not a regular lottery player but he bought $100 in tickets because the jackpot was so high. He plays when it reaches $100 million.
     The ticket was purchased at the C&L Super Serve in Hurricane, 25 miles west of Charleston.
     Mr. Whittaker went back to the store yesterday morning to fill up on gas and buy some biscuits, as he does each day. The clerk was the one who sold him the ticket. He told her he won, but "she said, 'No, you didn't, you're not excited enough to win the lottery.' And she just pushed me out the door," he said.
     "It's so just that the poorest state in America wins the biggest Powerball in history," said Bob O'Dell, a 51-year-old resident of the town that's pronounced herr' ah cun. (West Virginia's per-capita income actually was second-lowest to Mississippi's in 2000.)
     The Super Serve's owner, Larry Trogdon, will get $100,000 for selling the winning ticket.
     "I have a daughter getting married this summer," he told NBC.
     "I guess we're honeymooning in Hawaii," said his daughter, Amy, who manages the Super Serve and is getting married next summer to a clerk at the store.
     "Heck, if you're going to Hawaii, I'm coming with you," Mr. Trogdon answered, laughing.
     The jackpot was the largest ever for a single winning ticket, Miss Bulla said. It also was the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
     An unexpected Christmas Day run on Powerball tickets pushed the already whopping $280 million jackpot to $314.9 million just before numbers were drawn, making it the Powerball's largest prize ever.
     The winning numbers were 5-14-16-29-53 and the Powerball was 7.
     Mr. Whittaker had the option of taking a cash payout of $170 million before taxes or collecting the entire jackpot in 30 payments over 29 years. He took the lump sum and Gov. Bob Wise presented him with an initial check of $10 million.
     Powerball, the nation's largest lottery game, is sold in 23 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
     Before the Christmas 2002 prize, the largest Powerball jackpot was $295.7 million in July 1998.
     The biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was a Big Game prize of $363 million, won in May 2000 by ticketholders in Michigan and Illinois. The second was a $331 million Big Game jackpot split between three tickets in April.
     Spain's annual Christmas lottery known as El Gordo — "the Fat One" — is billed as the world's richest. This year's $1.7 billion jackpot spreads wealth among millions of people. About 10,000 numbers win some kind of prize, from $20 to $200,000.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 241-255 next last
To: Revelation 911
No offense but you're a kook. This was a good man that won money then says he'll do good things with it. The week before he won the lottery he saw a small boy on TV who when asked what he wanted for Christmas say he wished he had a bed to sleep in. This man sent the family a $10,000 check. He got paid back for his generosity. You're whining about it makes your religion look rather odd to normal folk...
41 posted on 12/27/2002 8:01:32 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: seams2me
ever heard of Bingo? It often takes place in church basements.

Too bad isnt it?

42 posted on 12/27/2002 8:03:24 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: go star go
what I see are a lot of freepers justifying poor behavior and the promise of easy riches, oblivious to the corrupting nature of wealth - If I am a kook - so be it - but personal attacks really dont buttress your position. Can you Scripturally justify the amassing of huge amounts of wealth ?
43 posted on 12/27/2002 8:06:13 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
To be honest with you, if there were heaven and hell, I'd rather go to hell with this man than go to heaven with folk like you...
44 posted on 12/27/2002 8:06:53 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
What's the significance of "pearley gates"? Isn't that wealth? Streets of gold?
45 posted on 12/27/2002 8:08:23 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: smith288; Don'tMessWithTexas
What about the story of Job. Godly man who was rich, God stripped him of all he had, stood the test of his convictions to God, God gives him everything and MORE for his convictions.

Gods will - do you presume to argue with God ?

Tell how gambling on a game of chance is Gods will ? - what matters more, the $10 this guy would have tithed with a clean heart or the 17 million he tithes with dirty hands in hopes of clearing his conscience

46 posted on 12/27/2002 8:09:44 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: go star go
To be honest with you, if there were heaven and hell, I'd rather go to hell with this man than go to heaven with folk like you...

and this personal attack aids your corrupt position how

- Lord give them eyes to see !

47 posted on 12/27/2002 8:11:16 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
I don't have a position. I'm just pointing out how evil you appear to the world.
48 posted on 12/27/2002 8:12:27 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: smith288
why is Las Vegas called sin city ? - for the prostitutes ? - puhleeze
49 posted on 12/27/2002 8:12:52 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
But YOUR position is sort of funny actually. You are trashing this man, calling him a sinner, because he's giving money to the church to do good deeds. That's funny given that I'm sure your pastor begs for dollars with a collection plate every time they open the church doors.
50 posted on 12/27/2002 8:14:53 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
And we all know God would have prefered that a real "sinner" had won this money and blew it on boats, houses, cars, women, and parties...

Some position you've got there Mr Bible...

51 posted on 12/27/2002 8:18:04 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
How do you suppose the woman of ill-repute could afford that vial of expensive oil she lavished on Jesus' feet?
52 posted on 12/27/2002 8:18:16 AM PST by Taliesan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: go star go
I don't have a position. I'm just pointing out how evil you appear to the world.

Yeah - maybe youre right - wanting to take away everybodys good times for fear of the endless torment theyll most certainly endure at the hands of the deceptive one -

Am i pompous? - 'probly - I'll give you that - Am i concerned about you and everyone here - honestly yes.

Am I demanding you dont flip coins or have a sip of wine now and then - no - but gambling is most definitely a vice - use extreme caution in letting sin get a foothold in your life -

53 posted on 12/27/2002 8:19:10 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
Don't look now but that Bible you like to quote says it's a sin for you to judge this lottery winner Mr Sinner Man...
54 posted on 12/27/2002 8:21:25 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
... now... contort you way out of that one...
55 posted on 12/27/2002 8:23:03 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
Why don't you post that scripture for us Mr Bible Sinner Man...
56 posted on 12/27/2002 8:25:13 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: breakem
LOL....Stay Safe !!
57 posted on 12/27/2002 8:26:15 AM PST by Squantos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: go star go
Some position you've got there Mr Bible...

are you finished with the insults? - if not, I'll start flagging the mod -

58 posted on 12/27/2002 8:28:06 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: go star go
Don't look now but that Bible you like to quote says it's a sin for you to judge this lottery winner Mr Sinner Man...

Ive not Judged him = rather I pray for him & you

59 posted on 12/27/2002 8:29:25 AM PST by Revelation 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Revelation 911
Afraid to defend your position? Flag whoever you want. If you can't take the heat you better stop sinning about this man that won the lottery cause I hear it's hot as the dickins in hell...

Oh and don't forget to post that scripture that says it's a sin to judge others. You do want to be honest don't you? Nice Christian feller like yourself...

60 posted on 12/27/2002 8:30:55 AM PST by go star go
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 241-255 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson