A $2.6m smile of success

WHEN a young Brisbane woman discovered she had won millions in a Lotto win yesterday, she knew straight away how she would spend her windfall.

“Buy a house and get my teeth fixed,” she declared.

She’s got plenty of mates to go shopping with now too, because she was part of the 21strong syndicate that had the only first-division winning ticket in Thursday night’s Powerball draw, scooping up the mammoth $55m prize.

They all work at the Department of Education and each will pocket $2.6 million.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m so shocked – it all seems so unreal,” she said.

The woman, who bought the ticket on behalf of her colleagues, said the group had spent Thursday talking about how sweet a win would be.

“For some they may retire, others will clear debts and pay off mortgages and others have told me they will help their family,” she said.

After checking the numbers manually yesterday, the excited syndicate leader began phoning colleagues to give them the good news that those dreams were now within reach.

One man, commenting online, said he was one of the lucky winners and had already booked a trip to the Maldives.

“Congratulations mate, enjoy your trip and your new found wealth, good to see it went to people who are just turning up every day and having a go,” another man replied.

Other staff members were coy when approached by media outside their Education House office yesterday.

Casino News manager Cindy Lynch, who runs the George St store which sold the winning ticket, said it was the third division one winner the store had sold.