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After Four Months, Winchester Man Claims Top Prize In Win For Life

Oct 16 2008 00:55 www.galottery.com

The mystery has been solved. The question “Where is that winning ticket?” has finally been answered.

For four months, Sushil Thapa of Winchester was in possession of a top-prize ticket in the Virginia Lottery’s Win For Life game – and he didn’t know it!

“We knew that someone in Winchester had hit,” he told Lottery officials. “We searched frantically, but didn’t find it, so we gave up.”

All the time, the winning ticket was tucked in a book belonging to his wife. The ticket matched the first six numbers in the November 24, 2007, drawing. Those winning numbers were 4-10-11-13-31-41. He will receive $1,000 per week for the rest of his life.

“When I found the ticket, I was speechless,” he said. “I jumped in the air. I have no words to describe my excitement.”

He bought that winning ticket at Gas Mart, located at 2118 North Frederick Pike in Winchester. The store received a $10,000 bonus for selling a top-prize Win For Life ticket.

On March 28, he received the first of a lifetime of checks from Virginia Lottery Deputy Executive Director Richard Williams. The presentation took place at the Virginia Lottery’s Shenandoah Valley Customer Service Center in Harrisonburg. Mr. Thapa becomes the 19th Virginia Lottery player to win the top prize in Win For Life since the game began in February, 2006.

Win For Life offers a top prize of $1,000 per week for the life of the winner. Other prizes range from $2 to $52,000. Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights at 11:00.

Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $3.4 billion for Virginia’s public schools, currently representing about 7 percent of annual state funding for public education in Virginia. In 19 years, the Lottery has awarded more than $10 billion in prizes to players and more than $1 billion in retailer commissions. For more information go to www.valottery.com. Please play responsibly.