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CNN Live Event/Special

Powerball Winner Holds News Conference

Aired August 27, 2001 - 17:04   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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And now in the wake of some apparent winners in that powerball contest worth many millions of dollars, let's go to a news conference taking place right now in Roseville, Minnesota.

(BEGIN NEWS CONFERENCE)

SHERYEL HANUMAN, JACKPOT WINNER: I'm a medical records clerk. I have my three children. I'm married. I have a very supportive family.

QUESTION: Are you working?

HANUMAN: Minneapolis. I don't believe so. I'm not going to do that anymore.

QUESTION: Did you give them notice?

HANUMAN: Yes, I did.

QUESTION: What did they say?

HANUMAN: No, you got to be kidding. Nobody calls with this kind of an excuse. I did.

QUESTION: What does the money for you personally?

HANUMAN: It means a little more freedom. It means I'll have a more secure future. It means a little more prosper. It means I'll be able to help my family in ways that I wouldn't even have thought of prior to this.

QUESTION: Have you thought about if you had won, you know (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HANUMAN: On Saturday, being everybody who was at the wedding, "Did you buy a ticket? What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?" Yeah, everybody talked about it.

QUESTION: Did you have a (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

HANUMAN: No. I jokingly was talking to co-workers as if they were going to win. I had absolutely no clue.

QUESTION: So how did you feel when you saw that you were one of the winners?

HANUMAN: I'm still in shock. I still -- I better pinch myself. This is a long and detailed dream.

QUESTION: Is there anything that scares you about this (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

HANUMAN: The unreality of it. You know, is it real? When do I wake up? That's kind of scary.

QUESTION: Are you concerned at all about people hitting you up for money now?

HANUMAN: No, I think I got a pretty good plan.

QUESTION: Where did you buy the ticket?

HANUMAN: At the South Minneapolis Cub Foods.

QUESTION: Is there anything that you're going to buy for yourself or the kids right away just to celebrate? What are you going to do (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

HANUMAN: You know, I really haven't thought that through in an honest effort to, you know, come up with, "I'm going to do this." I don't know.

QUESTION: Is there anything you need around the house? A new roof, something like that? (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

HANUMAN: No. Maybe a new one.

QUESTION: You mentioned three children. What does your husband think of all of this?

HANUMAN: My husband, I think he's in shock. He hasn't really said a whole lot.

QUESTION: What's your husband's name?

HANUMAN: Chrisna.

QUESTION: How do you spell that?

HANUMAN: C-h-r-i-s-n-a.

QUESTION: Same last name?

HANUMAN: Yes.

QUESTION: What does he do for a living?

HANUMAN: He's a nurse.

QUESTION: Where is he now?

HANUMAN: I don't think he's thought that one out yet. I think he may still work for a little while.

(END OF NEWS CONFERENCE COVERAGE)

WOODRUFF: You're listening to a medical records clerk in the suburbs of Minneapolis. Her name is Sheryel Hanuman, and she is the second of four apparent Powerball winners taking in a little under $74 million, a lot of money. She says she's just beginning to think about what she's going to do with it.

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