A 86-year-old grandfather from San Jose had just finished watering some flowers at his local church when he continued a regular routine, that being a stroll to a nearby CVS Pharmacy to test his luck with a set of lottery tickets.
That routine stop and a $4 purchase turned into an $696,000 payday for a longtime South Bay resident, according to the California Lottery.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, has been watering the flowers at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in San Jose for almost a year now and always takes a moment to pray before hitting up the CVS Pharmacy for some lottery tickets, but he says he isn't always wishing for some cold, hard cash.
"I don't ask the Virgin to pay me with (lottery) money," he told the California Lottery. "I ask that she pays me with taking care of my grandkids. That's more valuable than money to me, but I really do need a new roof on my house."
A new roof will more than likely be in the works after the man, who has lived in the area since 1963, purchased one of two "Set for Life Scratchers" winning tickets at the CVS Pharmacy located on Tully Road in San Jose, according to the California Lottery.
He had the opportunity to receive $4,000 each month for the next 25 years, which equates to $1.2 million in total, but he decided to cash in on the $696,000 prize all at once, according to the California Lottery. That winning amount was revealed before federal taxes could be applied.
