BATTLERS from Greater Dandenong and Casey had their lives changed forever last week by a $40 ticket.
An eight-member syndicate from Dandenong South’s Jayco caravan factory was among two division one winners in 15 November’s $30 million Powerball jackpot.
They’ll each take home $1.875 million – the first big win in the 10 years they’ve run the syndicate and a handsome return on their $5 a week contribution.
Syndicate leader Jeff Kerr checked the numbers at home after the draw and told his co-workers the next day.
“There’s around 800 workers here at the Jayco factory so the news leaked out to the media really quick!” he said.
“We’re a very close team so it was nice to be able to share the news with everyone at work.”
He said everyone in the syndicate really deserved the money.
“They’re all battlers in their own way – some are single parents, some have sick partners, some have disabled children,” he said.
“This money will be truly life-changing for all of us.”
One of the winners, David Rogers, said they’d since been overwhelmed with media attention and well-wishes.
“Gerry’s Midas touch has rubbed off,” he said of Jayco owner Gerry Ryan.
The winners hail from Narre Warren, Berwick, Dandenong, and Cranbourne.
Mr Kerr purchased the winning 50-game QuickPick Powerball entry from Beaconsfield Village Lotto. Owner Frank Mort said he was very happy the group had won.
“We are rapt for the persons that won it. They have been coming in here ever since we opened,” he said.
“It was a magnificent quick pick I sold!”
A father of three purchased the other winning ticket from Mountainview Newsagency in Nunawading.
The winning numbers in draw 861 were 37, 24, 25, 16 and 8 and the Powerball was number 5.
