Saranac Laker wins big in lotto

SARANAC LAKE | He went on a quick errand, grumbling, to find mushrooms at Tops. John Lewis was making pasta sauce that day in June and had no idea he was about to become a millionaire. Lewis admits he was in a hurry as he left the home he shares with girlfriend Mary Williams in Saranac Lake. They had just returned from camping and were making a sauce, a family recipe Lewis said his dad used to make. It typically simmers for two days. "I asked her if we had mushrooms, and she said yes, but they weren't there," Lewis shrugged. He said he really didn't want an added errand that morning, but he quickly ran to Tops Market on Church St., and picked up the item. He has just enough time to chop and add fresh mushrooms to the sauce before heading off to work. "The express lane was closed," John said of the trip to Tops. And that fortuitous closure pushed him to a center aisle where, as you leave, there is a scratch-off lottery ticket kiosk. On a whim he bought a $10 Set for Life and left to chop mushrooms. With just a few minutes to spare before heading to work on June 27, he scratched the ticket. He saw the gold coin and a winning amount of $5,000,000. "I just kept staring at it," Lewis said. "It wasn't real." Lewis said he came to his senses and called Mary, who asked if he was kidding. And then he called his mom, Pat Lewis, also of Saranac Lake, who loves scratch tickets. "She said I'll pray for you," Lewis grinned. Asked what prayer she said, Pat Lewis laughed, "Oh, just — I hope you're reading it right." And he was. Lewis went to have a local store check the ticket. The cashier screamed and jumped up and down: it was verified, a genuine winner. The $5,000,000 Set for Life ticket nets Lewis an annual cash payment of $172,068 per year for the rest of his life. Standing between the potato chips and cans of nuts at Tops on Tuesday, Lewis, 56, accepted a very big payout from New York Lottery's Yolanda Vega. "I'm Yollllannnda Vega," the state's Lottery star trilled over aisles stacked with groceries, gathering a small crowd. Vega asked Lewis what he has in mind to do with his winnings. "I want to help out my mother," the Saranac Laker said. "And we're looking for property. We just purchased our season's passes at Whiteface (Mountain Ski Resort). And we might get a truck." Lewis said he did call his employer at Lake Placid Pub & Brewery that very morning and told them good news and bad and left the position as bartender. The couple might travel to some warm island for a while, he said. But Lewis doesn't think winning the lottery will really change their lives too much. "I think it's going to help us," he said of plans to help a family member with medical bills. "We're very low-keyed." Lewis returned to Saranac Lake eight years ago to be with family here. He spent some part of his childhood nearby as his dad was in the U.S. Air Force and stationed for a time at the Plattsburgh Air Base. Calling for another round of applause for Lewis, Vega thanked Tops for their hospitality. Lewis said he is indeed "Set for Life." The winner got to keep the giant, oversized check and headed out to go do everyday Adirondack things. New York Lottery contributed $3,042,945 in Lottery Aid to Education to school districts in Essex County in 2016-17, according to a news release provided at the winning presentation. "The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.27 billion in fiscal year 2016-17 to help support education in New York State," the release said. The contribution is about 14 percent of the total state education aid to schools.

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Saranac Laker wins big in lotto

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