Locals Win $50,000 Lottery with Tickets that Support Veterans

Last month, two locals won $50,000 in the first annual Hometown Heroes Raffle, a partnership between Washington Lottery and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA).

Bonney Lake resident Casey Williams (29) won his winning lotto ticket at the local . A Sumner resident, who did not wish to be identified, also won $50,000 from a ticket purchased at .

Williams told the Washington Lottery his big win was also the first time he ever played. He has friends in the Army and both of his grandfathers are WWII veterans. With his winnings, Williams plans to pay off some bills, buy a minivan and take his wife to Las Vegas for their 10th wedding anniversary.

In all, 24 individuals won in the Nov. 10 Hometown Heroes drawing; 22 have come forward to claim their prize, many with personal connections to veterans.

The game launched on Veteran’s Day to support local war heroes across the state – every $10 raffle ticket benefits the WDVA’s Veterans Innovations Program (VIP), which provides crisis and emergency relief, education, training and employment assistance for Washington veterans returning home from post-9/11 conflicts.

Since its creation in 2006, the Veterans Innovations Program has helped more than 800 National Guard, Reserve and active duty service members and their families by providing crisis and emergency relief, as well as education, training, and employment assistance for Washington veterans returning from post-9/11 conflicts.

“Contributions from the Hometown Heroes Raffle help ensure we can continue this unique program that puts veterans and their families on a path to success,” said WDVA Director John Lee. “We could not achieve this without the unprecedented support from the Legislature, Governor Gregoire and the thousands of individuals who purchased Raffle tickets.”

To learn more about the Veterans Innovations Program, visit www.dva.wa.gov/Vet_Inn_Pro.html. To read more stories from winners, check out the Washington Lottery’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/walottery or the Hometown Heroes Raffle page at www.walottery.com/heroes.