- I have received wonderful counsel from my advisor, Marshall Peterson, of Holbrook Peterson Smith PLLC in Knoxville. After setting aside enough savings to create my 'pension fund,' I will be making large gifts to a long list of charities, including a number of religious organizations and local charities. Everyone should know that my list of charities has already been set.
"Finally, the majority of the prize has been designated to go into a foundation to support performing arts organizations around the country. I am very excited to work on this project with longtime friends experienced in supporting the arts in this way. My father passed away in 2010, and essentially, I am following his rule about money management: Tithe a tenth, save a tenth and spend the rest wisely. - I realized I hit the jackpot. It literally knocked me to my knees. My prayer was simple - 'Lord have Mercy!' But life goes on, so I picked myself up, put the winning ticket in my wallet and went to pick up my mother. I walked around University of Tennessee Medical Center all that morning with a $259.8 million winner in my pocket.
- It has been interesting going around Knoxville these past couple of weeks while we prepared to receive this prize. Several local news anchors have declared us to be 'best friends.' Everywhere I went people were talking about the Powerball winner, not knowing I was standing right in front of them. Many people said, 'I heard it's a UPS guy.' Another lady had heard 'for sure' that it was a young woman with a baby that bought the winning ticket. For the record, I do not work for UPS, and I am not a young woman with a baby.
- I really believe the best way to prepare for this tsunami of cash has been to live under a vow of poverty for a number of years. It gives great perspective.[Cockrum was a monk with The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Episcopal religious community in Cambridge, Massachusetts]
- [on his lottery win] By the way, Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol came to my house many years ago with the balloons and the champagne. The size of the prize wasn't as life changing as this one, but I have no doubt that I am one of the luckiest people in the world. I am so grateful. I am so blessed. I have received great counsel, and I will continue working very hard to make sure every single penny of this prize is a blessing to anyone it touches.
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