Since winning a £4 800 000 EuroMillions jackpot in 2011, Sue Mullen and her husband Lee have used their good fortune to help the people in their hometown of Grimsby. Every year, Sue has run a campaign to collect Christmas presents for disadvantaged children, and this year is no different.
The reason why Sue feels so strongly about ensuring that every child wakes up to find a gift under the tree is because she remembers how it feels like to have nothing.
And that’s why she’s also willing to help out families that need assistance to pay for the basics such as electricity and heating. Until Sue and Lee’s lucky lotto numbers came up, they were experiencing the same struggles.
The story of how they won their EuroMillions jackpot is a remarkable one. When their daughter was born, they gave up buying lottery tickets for a while. They simply couldn’t afford such a luxury when their new born needed nappies. However, a few weeks after they stopped buying lottery tickets, their lotto numbers were drawn and the couple missed out on the jackpot.
At the time, they were living in a rented property and could not even afford to furnish it. They were gutted when they checked the lottery results and realised that they’d missed out on the jackpot. Eventually, they were able to start buying lottery tickets again. And shortly before their big win, Sue had a feeling that they would win an even bigger jackpot.
Her dreams came true and in a drawing held on 4 February 2011, their numbers came up again. Since then, the couple have performed a number of small and large charitable acts including donating £50 000 to their local football club and replacing a little boy’s stolen trampoline. In fact, Sue normally runs her Christmas campaign in conjunction with the Grimsby Town Football Club, but this year she has decided to do it on her own.
It’s always lovely to read about lottery winners who give back to their community. And at this time of year, it reminds us that this is the true spirit of the season. Many big lottery winners, such as those who win on the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries donate some of their winnings to charities and causes that are close to their heart. Not only do many charitable organisations benefit from the generosity of the big lottery winners, they benefit from the lottery itself.
Don’t forget that a portion of the money raised from the sale of lottery tickets typically goes to charity. And in the US, much of the money is used by each state to support education. That’s the reason why lotteries where established; to raise funds for various initiatives and projects. By buying a lottery ticket, you’re contributing to charity, and it gives you the opportunity to play for a life-changing sum of money.
If you want more proof that lottery winners are generous people, you only have to look the biggest Euromillions winner. Chris and Colin Weir from Scotland won a massive £161 000 000 EuroMillions jackpot in 2011. They went on to establish The Weir Charitable Trust, which supports charities in Scotland. They also used £750 000 of their winnings to set up the Thistle Weir Youth Academy to provide the local youngsters with support for pursing their dreams of football glory. And they purchased a fleet of cars for friends and family.
Over in the USA, Powerball lottery winner Mark Hill and his family have been involved with several big projects in their local community. They’re most recent contribution was a state-of-the-art fire station. But they’ve also been involved in other projects such as donating money to buy land for the town’s new sewerage treatment plant. But even before they won big in the Powerball lottery, Mark and his family had been donating their time and expertise to projects that would benefit their hometown. The legacy they will leave behind is proof that money doesn’t always change people for the worse.
Ask anyone what they would do if they won the lottery and you’ll find most people plan to donate some of their winnings to charity. And many of them do. Even those who win a smaller prize are happy to give some of their winnings to a cause that they care about. And now that more people can access the international lotteries, thanks to the services offered by online lottery ticket agents, charities stand to benefit even more.
But, even if you don’t win a EuroMillions jackpot, you can still follow Sue’s example. Whether you donate your time or money, you can still make Christmas a little brighter for the less fortunate in your community. When you’re ready to buy your US Powerball tickets online, take some time to research the local charities in your area, and find out how you can contribute this holiday season.
