Paramedic Duane McFarland chose to receive a one-time payment of $1 million after matching the first 5 numbers of the Virginia Lottery’s Cash4Life drawing.
NORFOLK, Va. — A Gloucester County paramedic and second-generation firefighter was faced with an exciting choice on July 13: he could receive $1,000 every week for the rest of his life, or he could accept a one-time payment of $1 million.
He chose the million dollars.
A release from Virginia Lottery News explained that Duane McFarland is a very deserving Lottery winner.
He owns a small business in addition to being a first responder, and said he plans to save the money for retirement in a few years.
McFarland matched the first five winning numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash4Life drawing on July 13. Matching five out of the six numbers afforded him the choice of his prize.
“I’m just in amazement that I won,” he told lottery officials. “I had to call my wife into the room to confirm that I was seeing what I was seeing.”
McFarland didn’t have to leave his home to play the lottery. He chose his numbers using the online random generator at valottery.com, and his winning numbers were 6, 10, 18, 41 and 50.
The Cash Ball number, the only number he missed, was 2.
Cash4Life® is played in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Nightly drawings at 9 p.m. determine daily winners of a first place prize of $1,000 per day for life, and a second place prize of $1,000 per week for life. Each play is $2.
The chances that you win the top prize, if you play, are 1 in 21.8 million.