MANSFIELD — A lottery pool of 10 employees at Crestview Elementary School won $1,000,004 in the Aug. 6 Powerball drawing.
The pool organizer, Karen, purchased the winning auto-pick ticket at a Circle K in Seville, Ohio, according to Ohio Lottery.
After mandatory state and federal tax, each winner will receive $72,000.
Karen, who asked her last name not be published, said the group has played for six years, and she has always bought the tickets for the group.
“All of the people in this group, and most teachers, are really hard working people,” she said.
The original group included Mary Jo Manocchio, a former teacher who died over four years ago after a battle with cancer.
But the group decided to keep her in the pool.
“We always said if we won we would give the money to her family,” Karen said. Manocchio’s family did not know about the lottery pool.
Karen found out her pool won the morning after the drawing while she was on the phone with her daughter. She could not believe it.
She proceeded to tell the group about the win, then contacted Manocchio’s children to let them know about the arrangements.
The winners have various plans for their portion of the money — some said they would purchase new cars, pay off their mortgages or go on vacation. Everyone agreed they would invest some of the money.
The group says they plan to continue playing together with Manocchio in the pool, who Karen says has been their “guardian angel.”