Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993 TAG: 9303200320
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JESSICA MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LOTTERY PALS SPLIT BIG TICKET
Over the course of two years, they figure they've spent close to $2,000 playing the lottery together each week. But it paid off for Frank Cumbee and Henry Wade when they won Wednesday's million-dollar jackpot.The two Henry County men bought their winning ticket at the Piggly Wiggly in Danville.
Every week, the men pool $20 to $50 to buy lottery tickets. They've won before, but never like this.
The winning numbers, 03-12-18-28-29-32, were picked by computer.
"I always had the feeling we would win, but I had to look at the ticket several times. It's a dream come true," said Cumbee.
Cumbee, 52, and Wade, 55, will each receive $16,357 in their first checks. Then, they'll each get annual checks for $17,000 after taxes for 20 years.
Although neither plans to retire from their winnings, both of the men have some ideas for how they're going to spend their money.
Wade said he already has plans. "I'm gonna buy me a new bass boat. I've had it picked out for a month, and now I'll just go get it."
Cumbee said he's going to save some for his retirement and some for grandchildren - and some for playing the lottery.
While Cumbee and Wade claimed their winnings on Friday, a winner of a lottery drawing two weeks ago still hasn't come forward.
The $9.3 million lottery drawing held on March 10 had three winners, two of whom bought their tickets in Roanoke. The winning numbers were 9-11-14-21-35-40.
Robert and Rebecca Graham of Northwest Roanoke quickly claimed their $3.1 million share. They bought their ticket at the Stop In Food Store on Plantation Road.
The second ticket was purchased by a Gulfport, Fla., couple while they were visiting their daughter in Virginia Beach.
But the third ticket, bought in Roanoke at the Unimart at 1219 Jamison Ave., still hasn't been claimed.
Mark Merritt, the lottery's regional sales manager for the Roanoke area, said there are a number of possibilities why the winner hasn't yet come forward.
"They might not know they have the ticket, they may want to alert their family members, and they may be consulting with a financial planner or a banker," he said.
Merritt also said that because of the "location of the store where the ticket was purchased, it's not likely that the winner is from out of state."
The winner has until mid-September to claim the money.
Cherie Phaup, a lottery spokeswoman, said the Virginia Lottery hasn't had a ticket expire, but that one man waited until the day before the redemption period expired before producing his multimillion-dollar ticket.
Anthony Graves of Salem didn't wait long to claim the $100,000 he won on a Cash 5 ticket. He won the prize on March 12. On Friday, Graves received a Virginia Lottery check for $68,000 - $28,000 went to federal taxes and $4,000 went to state taxes.
Graves, who bought his ticket at the Amoco Orange Market on Peters Creek Road in Roanoke, said he and his fiancee, Sheila Wimmer, will use the money to buy a house and start a college fund for their 3-week-old son, Cody.