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American Morning

Maine Powerball Winners Claim Prize

Aired August 28, 2001 - 10:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Three days after the Powerball lottery catapulted four winners to virtually mind-boggling wealth, we are learning more now about the lucky ticket-holders. Three of the four winners have stepped forward.

CNN's Patty Davis joins us now from Saco, Maine, where one couple is stepping forward -- Patty, good morning.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

The couple is Pat and Erwin Wales, 60 and 70 years old. And they plan to hold a press conference here in Saco in about an hour and a half. They bought the winning Powerball ticket in New Hampshire, and now $41 million today -- of course, taxes taken out of that.

They live in Buxton, Maine, which is near here, near Saco, where we are right now in this modest home, right across the street of a little league ball field. Their lawyer says that Pat walked into work yesterday at a financial services firm and said that she was taking an indefinite leave of absence. Her husband Erwin fixes motorcycles, mows lawns, works at a motor speedway. He drives a pickup truck with 141,000 miles on it.

Now, their lawyer claimed the prize for them yesterday. What will they do with all of that money? Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY GARMEY, WALES SPOKESMAN: They plan to buy a new truck -- a new pickup truck. There's little doubt. I even know what kind of truck that is going to be. And it's not going to have leather seats, I might add.

Beyond that, they continue to want to play bingo. They want to make sure that their children and their extended family are secure. And they want to maintain a simple, unaffected, regular life the way people in Maine have come to appreciate it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Now, their lawyer says, as you heard, they are simple people. They want to stay that way. Pat loves bingo, as he said. They play Powerball frequently. And they -- when they found out that they did have that winning Powerball ticket, they hid it in a box of Corn Chex.

Now, a neighbor says that they have been in seclusion ever since they took that big win in. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY OLDFIELD, NEIGHBOR: He came over -- this was around 7:00 -- and said, "We won the Powerball lottery." And then I had about five minutes of uninterrupted laughter over it. Obviously, most of it was elation and joy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Neighbors obviously very happy for the Wales -- they say it could not happen to a better couple.

Life has changed already for the Wales. They've hired a P.R. firm. They've also changed their phone number to an unlisted phone number. And sleep, their lawyer says, for the Wales, that is a distant memory. You try winning $41 million and trying to catch a wink of sleep. The Wales haven't been able to -- Leon.

HARRIS: I may try, I think, the Big Game, so I'm happening next year in Georgia.

Thanks, Patty. We'll talk with you later.

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