Powerball winner, Mark Hill and his family have done a lot for their small, Missouri town of just 500 people. Their latest contribution is a state-of-the-art fire station that any big city would envy. They donated a substantial portion of their $293 million Powerball lottery win to the construction of the new firehouse.
Mark did it because the emergency services were responsible for saving his father’s life twice.
After winning half of the $587 million Powerball jackpot in 2012, the family has gone on to give back to their community in a big way. They opted for the cash lump sum payment and walked away with $136 million. They were involved in raising funds for civic projects long before their big win, but there’s no doubt the windfall has made it much easy for them to carry on with their charitable work.
Since the win they have already donated $50 000 to buy land for the town’s new sewerage treatment plant which meant residents could stop using septic tanks. They’ve also paid for a new ball field and set up a scholarship fund for North Platte High School in Dearborn. Mark and his wife both graduated from this school and it’s lovely to see how they’ve used their winnings to improve the lives of others.
Their latest project was a year in the making. Mark was involved with every aspect of the project and the result is an energy-efficient, sturdy building that will service the community for many years to come. It houses the town’s ambulance and fire-trucks and will be manned 24 hours a day. That’s impressive considering this is such a small town where that kind of service is often difficult to put into practice. The new fire building has direct access to highways which makes it much more efficient than the old building which didn’t have good access to the main roads.
The new fire station will be a great asset to the small community, just like all the other projects Mark and his family have been involved with. Without their generous donation it would have taken the community 25 years to raise the money for this project through their taxes. Now they have a building they can be proud of and access to a service that is rare in small town like theirs.
The family remains humble after picking those Powerball winning numbers way back in 2012. It’s clear that they’ve always been civic-minded. Stories about lottery winners such as the Hills seem to restore your faith in humanity. You’ll be pleased to hear that they have spent some of the money on themselves though. After all, they do seem to deserve. When they won, Mark was working as a mechanic and his wife was out of work. They had already adopted their daughter from China but have since adopted two more children.
After hitting the jackpot Mark quit his job and the family bought a new car. Not the Maserati Mark had his eye on, but rather a more sensible pick-up truck. They built a bigger house and went on several vacations but it’s clear the family hasn’t lost their sense of community. And they remain extremely humble. Mark has never given an interview until now. He was only willing to do it because he wanted everyone to know about the new fire station. He’s immensely proud of this achievement but would have been quite happy if nobody knew about his contribution to the project.
While it’s not rare for the lucky few who pick the right Powerball numbers to be so generous, it’s not often you get to hear about them. It seems that these are the kind of people who don’t want to flaunt their wealth or advertise their charitable acts. But they do exist and it’s nice to hear about people who are so generous with their good fortune.
It might also encourage you to check the lottery results more often. If someone in your city or town wins, and they’re as kind-hearted as the Hill’s, you could benefit from their good luck. Otherwise, you could follow their example and play the US Powerball lottery online for your chance to win a jackpot. While you’re thinking about the fortune that could come your way, take some time to consider the less fortunate.
How would you give back to your community? Even if you don’t win the Powerball lottery, you can still find ways to contribute and uplift your community. Your time and love are just as valuable and will be appreciated. So take a leaf out of Mark Hill’s book. Try your luck and try your best to make the lives of those around you a little brighter.
