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For owners, players it's a lucky day
![]() John Elkhatib, owener of Border Bets & Butts at the lottery counter in his Attleboro store. (Staff photo by TOM MAGUIRE)
Top Headlines He was right. The state lottery announced Thursday that Thomas Krawczyk of Providence had purchased a winning $1 million ticket at Vista Donut. Another winner had bought a $1 million ticket at Border Bets & Butts, just down the road from Vista Donuts on Route 1 in South Attleboro. "We're a lucky store," Pawlowski said. "We have a lot of winners. We have a lot of volume." Pawlowski said his store has sold so many winning lottery tickets over the years he has lost count. Located just over the state line from Rhode Island, Vista Donuts is one of the busiest lottery outlets in Massachusetts. Both Vista Donuts and Border Bets & Butts will get $10,000 each for selling the winning tickets. "The lottery called me this morning and told me that," said John Elkhatib, owner of Borders Bets & Butts. "It's a nice way to start your day." He said his store is a neighborhood business that gets regular customers every day. Elkhatib said he was hoping one of his customers would win the top prize of $20 million. "We were hoping they would hit the big one. But, $1 million is not bad," he said. The winner from Border Bets and Butts had not come forward by late Thursday. Krawczyk, the $1 million winner from Vista Donuts, could not be reached for comment. Beth Bresnahan, a spokeswoman for the lottery, said Krawczyk told lottery officials he planned to take his family on a long vacation with his winnings. He collected a total of $700,000 after contributing a $300,000 tax on his winnings to the state treasury. In addition to the local $1 million winners, a $250,000 ticket was sold at a Cumberland Farms store in Rehoboth. The Star Spangled Sweepstakes was the first sweepstakes-style contest the lottery has run, but it lost $12 million because sales were less than anticipated. Tickets cost $20 each and the winners had to wait until July 4 for the drawing of the winning number. The grand prize was $20 million. There were 10 $1 million prizes and 40 $250,000 prizes. Judith Zahn, the $20 million winner, was at the veterans hospital in Northampton where she's worked as a nurse for 33 years when she checked the winning numbers for the sweepstakes. Even after she realized she won the top prize Wednesday night, she stayed for three hours more to finish her shift. Zahn, 59, of Hatfield, said Thursday she's not sure what she'll do with the $14 million she'll pocket after taxes, other than to buy a new car to replace her 1994 Volvo. "This whole new world is going to open up," she said, adding the whole experience "just feels very bizarre." Material from the Associated Press was used in this report
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