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Scott Nalevanko's ticket was purchased in Leesburg while Michael Brosnan bought his in Stafford.
Nalevanko usually buys several Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle tickets, some of which he gives away as Christmas presents.
So, on New Year’s Day, when he heard that a $1 million winning ticket had been bought at the 7-Eleven on East Market Street in Leesburg, he got excited.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he remembers thinking.
The only question was, was that big winning ticket in his possession, or had he given it away?
“I found it!” he later told Virginia Lottery officials. “When I saw that address, it had to be!”
Nalevanko, a small business owner in Leesburg, had one of five top prize tickets in the annual raffle. The other four million-dollar winning tickets were bought in Arlington, Fredericksburg, Manassas and Stafford.
Brosnan got the Stafford prize.
“I almost fell to the ground. It was amazing!” he said the moment he discovered he had one of the five $1 million winning tickets in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle.
The first inkling he had was when his father called and said the Virginia Lottery just announced that one of the $1 million winning tickets was bought at Paddy’s 32 Steakhouse & Pub on Center Street in Stafford.
That’s where Michael had bought his raffle tickets. Then he checked the winning ticket numbers. Ticket #007094 was the big winner.
Brosnan said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.
“It’s unbelievable!” he told Lottery officials as he claimed his prize. “It’s hard to explain.”
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