
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 9, 1995                   TAG: 9505090134
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TRIP FOR VA. MULCH PAYS MILLIONS

A North Carolina couple traveled to Virginia for mulch this weekend and ended up with $4.5 million.

Julius and Dorothy Gourley drove from their Stokesdale, N.C., home to Ridgeway on Saturday for a load of mulch. They stopped by the Royal Pantry store and bought $10 worth of Lotto tickets.

Julius Gourley watched television Saturday night as his numbers, chosen for no particular reason, appeared in the Lotto drawing.

In a news release issued by the Virginia Lottery Department, Gourley said he was in shock.

``It took me a few minutes before I could get up and wake up Dorothy,'' he said.

The Gourleys received their first payment Monday: $225,100 before taxes; $153,068 after taxes.

The lottery department said the retired couple plan to share the money with their two children and four grandchildren. Particularly, they'll pay for their oldest grandson to attend college this fall.

by CNB