Lottery winners with Helping Hands
Most people imagine all the wonderful things they would do if they won a massive jackpot. What lottery winners actually do with it isn’t that far off from what you imagine. Some, however, have a heart of gold, and they can’t help but help others. Here’s a list of some abnormal lottery winners, but perhaps you’ll agree that they are probably some of the most wonderful lottery winners you’ve ever heard of.
Roy Cockrun
Roy Cockrum won $259.8 million, but Roy Cockrum was no ordinary lottery winner. Lottery winners come from all walks of life, irrespective of how much wealth they already have, but Roy was a bit of a first for many. Roy was a monk and he had some interesting ideas on what to do with his winnings. Roy was very passionate about the arts and theatre, and so he set up a foundation that would work towards supporting these arts. Roy promised every cent to the foundation and it continues to support a fantastic array of artists and productions to this day.
Frances and Patrick Connolly
Frances and Patrick Connolly originally planned to travel from Northern Ireland to Hartlepool in England for a few years for work but after they fell in love with their new home and the welcoming community, they decided they would stay. Then in 2019, this couple struck the bullseye and won £114.9 million but then went and did the opposite of what everyone expected. After making a list of all their friends and family and how to help them, they decided that they would set up two charities. When a year later, the world was struck with covid-19 pandemic, they went further and doubled down to help fund carers and those facing shortages due to stoppages of work. Despite naming one of their charities as the Hartlepool heroes, most of the local community agrees that the real heroes are Frances and Patrick.
Sheila Ryan
In 1988 Sheila Ryan would achieve the dream that many have of winning the lottery.
Sheila was working an average job in real estate when she would win $55.2 Million in a Powerball draw. Now if you began to imagine what Sheila could have done with these, then you’d be forgiven for not thinking about charity first. Ryan set up the Ryan Foundation with her $55.2 million in winnings. The foundation was aimed at helping children, victims of domestic abuse, senior citizens and stray animals. Despite Sheila passing away in 1996, the foundation is still actively helping the vulnerable today.
Their charitable work includes health care, human and social services, education, children's services, and the arts. They regularly give grants to support causes in these areas.
They know him as Guo
A Chinese man living in Zhengzhou, China, was walking home one day when he found himself passing a lottery station and had the idea to stop and buy a ticket to the local lottery. This he described was quite atypical of him but decided to give in to the seemingly random impulse. Known only as Guo, our friend had no idea he had just placed a bet that would land him approximately $86.5 million. Our story turns stranger though when Guo, who describes himself as humble, explained that he felt he had a responsibility to the community to do the right thing. As such he decided to donate about 61% of his winnings to the Henan Sports Development Foundation, a public welfare organization. He went on further to explain that even though he didnt need to work, he still felt that he should and that he had no intention to stop.
“Guy” the French man
This Frenchman must have heard of Guo because he wished to be known only as “Guy” after would shock France as the news not only reported his win but also his intention to donate all of it! This French man, who won 72 million Euro, decided he would be donating it all to charitable foundations working on environmental conservation.
Hailing from the Haute-Garonne area of southwestern France, the gentleman wished to remain anonymous but lottery officials described him as a good man who clearly believed in social responsibility. The man explained that he was childless and not married so he felt that he could do something to make a difference. The news of this incredibly altruistic act spread on X(formerly Twitter) spread like wildfire and praise flooded the platform from all across the country. Local news outlets hailed the anonymous and altruistic donor, labelling him as a shining example of what the world needs.
Would you donate your winnings?
Imagine making a substantial donation to your favourite charity. Is there a cause that you would support if you won a jackpot?
If you’re still at the stage of playing though, we’ve got a whole list of options that you can try out, including all the above-mentioned lotteries. Check out Jackpot’s lottery library to find your next favourite game and play for a chance to win.
