A Christmas tradition pays off for Oak Creek family

(Madison)—Each Christmas Brian Schultz of Oak Creek buys a few Wisconsin Lottery tickets as gifts for his sons and daughter-in-law.  It’s a family tradition that’s been around almost as long as the Lottery.  Sure, there’s always a lot of fantasizing about winning, but it’s mostly done just for the fun of it.  Last month that holiday tradition paid off for the Schultz Family, and paid off big.

On Christmas morning, Brian read the winning numbers aloud from the newspaper as his kids sat around him checking their tickets.  His youngest son Matthew, the most infrequent Lottery player of the group, circled the numbers on his tickets as they were read.  When he had five of six Megabucks numbers circled, he figured there was a probably a pretty good prize in his future, maybe $500.

“I told my dad, ‘Don’t mess with me and tell me the last number is 40,’” Matthew said.  “Then he dropped the paper.”

The last number was 40, giving the family a Christmas to remember, complete with an $11.1 million jackpot.  Brian, Todd and Matthew Schultz presented the $11.1 million jackpot winning ticket at Lottery headquarters in Madison on Monday, January 23.

The Schultz's have decided to split the prize, which requires a court order.  That process is already underway and, upon receipt of a signed court order, the Lottery will pay each man separately as set out in the order.  All three will receive their portions of the prize as one-time cash payments. 

Brian, Todd and Matthew plan to invest most of the money, with just a little of it earmarked for some fun.  They see the prize as a way to enhance their lives and provide a stable financial future for the family.

“It’s nice to know that the kids will be taken care of,” said Brian. 

For selling the winning $11.1 million Megabucks ticket, Gary’s Beer & Liquor earns a commission from the Lottery of $100,000.  Lottery retailers who sell a winning ticket with a prize of $600 or more earn a commission of 2% of the prize, up to a maximum of $100,000. Brian is a regular customer at Gary’s and passed several other retail locations on Christmas Eve morning to buy his tickets there.