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CNN Live At Daybreak

Maine Winner Comes Forward

Aired August 28, 2001 - 07:16   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We are learning more about the lucky winners of that big $295 million Powerball lottery jackpot. Among them: Pat and Irwin Wales, who live near Portland, Maine. They hid their winning ticket in a box of cereal. That's interesting.

CNN's Patty Davis is in Buxton, Maine -- good morning, Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The local newspaper touting Maine's latest and newest millionaires, as you said, Pat and Irwin Wales, now $41 million richer today. They took the cash lump sum payout yesterday when their lawyer claimed their prize.

They live here in the town of Buxton. That's a rural town -- a bedroom community to the metropolitan area of Portland in Maine. Now, their lawyer describes them as lifelong Mainers.

Pat, who plays Powerball frequently, in fact won three lotteries on Saturday -- two of them worth $25, and then later Saturday evening struck it absolutely rich in the Powerball. The lawyer says she went into the bedroom to wake her husband, Irwin, up and tell him the good news. He just rolled over and said, yeah, yeah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRENCE GARMEY, WALES' ATTORNEY: She left the room, came back in and said, no, I really think we did. And she woke him up, and he saw how anxious she was. And they decided, in fact, they had won. And so, they took their lottery ticket and said, what do we do in our small town in Maine with a $41 million ticket? And I think they did what any conscientious Maine person would do: They hid it in a box of Corn Chex.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Lots of traffic here at the intersection in Buxton today -- a lot of people heading to work but not the Wales. In fact, Pat has temporarily taken a leave of absence from her job. Her husband, Irwin, who drives a pickup truck with 141,000 miles on it, mows lawns. He also has worked at a Speedway as well as a motorcycle shop. The big news, their lawyer said, a bit daunting for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GARMEY: They are just overwhelmed with the good fortune that they have experienced. And they hope to remain the simple people that are based -- their friends that loved them when they were poor are going to be their friends tomorrow. And their family that stayed by them when they were poor are going to be their family tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: We expect to meet the Wales today at a press conference. Now, their lawyer says that life has already changed for them. They now have an unlisted phone number. They have also hired a PR firm, and we'll tell you more about some of the other winners later next hour -- Carol.

LIN: Those lucky people -- thanks so much, Patty Davis, reporting live from Buxton, Maine.

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