BREMERTON MAN SHARES $1 MILLION PRIZE WITH EXCITED CLERK
Final Raffle Winner Says Money Won't Change What's Meaningful
OLYMPIA— Ron Roehmholdt, a 62-year-old Exhibit Chief at the Navy Museum in Bremerton, says he feels a great sense of "comfort" after finding out he's the third and final $1 million dollar winner to claim the top prize in the Washington's Lottery Raffle.
"After the drawing, I went into the Tracyton Market – where I bought my ticket – to see if I had a winner," Roehmholdt said. "I knew one of the million-dollar tickets was sold there, so I figured it might have been me. When the clerk checked my ticket, she smiled and said 'I just knew it had to be you!' And sure enough, it was."
Roehmholdt says along with the comfort of winning comes a great desire to use the money to do great things for good people. "When I realized I won, my first thought was, 'Great, now I can finish putting in the vinyl windows in my house,'" Roehmholdt laughed. "Then I thought, I can help out people who really deserve it, like the woman who sold me the ticket – she works hard, so I am giving her $10,000 as a small sign of my gratitude."
Roehmholdt plans to share his winnings where he can – starting with his two children. Winning the money, Roehmholdt says, means that he can leave behind a great financial legacy for them, but that doesn’t mean he won't plan to enjoy some of the winnings with them now. "I've wanted to take my children on a wonderful vacation to see unbelievable things," Roehmholdt said. "This money makes our lives comfortable enough to do just that."
Though he feels financial relief from his win, Roehmholdt doesn't plan on quitting his job anytime soon. In fact, his co-workers were some of the first to celebrate with him. "I love what I do, and while this money is wonderful, I think enjoying my work is a lot more important," Roehmholdt said. "Loving your job, enjoying a beautiful sunset and making things easier for others, that's what is truly meaningful for me. While I'm grateful I won, money isn't going to change any of that."
Roehmholdt's $1 million Raffle ticket for the June 26 drawing was number 103710. Tracyton Market, where he bought the winning ticket, is located at 5010 May St. NW in Bremerton and receives a separate $10,000 Retail Selling Bonus from the Lottery for its lucky sale of the winning ticket.