Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 9, 1993 TAG: 9302090299
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE MAN WINS CASH 5
Don Robertson makes his living in dents, his hobby in dirt.And when he found out Saturday that he'd won $100,000 in the first Cash 5 jackpot drawing, well, "it wasn't any reason to stop plowing the garden."
Robertson, who owns Star City Auto and Body Shop on Rorer Avenue Southwest and lives in Roanoke, was at his farm in Franklin County riding a tractor when his wife realized that a ticket he'd bought the night before had come up lucky.
She had to call a neighbor to go get him, he said.
"I told her to come on down and see me," he said. "I couldn't quit in the middle of plowing."
Of course, for Robertson, the prize wasn't even the biggest jackpot he's hauled in.
That came in 1988, when he pulled a lever on an Atlantic City slot machine, bells rang, 7's flashed - and Atlantis Casinos presented him with a $125,049 check.
Back then he said, "I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. It was the darnedest thing."
Four and a half years later, he's mellowed.
"It's pretty calm around here now," Robertson said Monday night. "No need to get carried away."
He bought the ticket - with the winning numbers 15-18-27-31-32 - at the Sav-A-Lot Supermarket on Patterson Avenue Southwest. He's to receive a check there today for $68,000 after taxes.
Robertson, who said he plays the Lotto game regularly, usually buying five tickets at a time, gave himself a second chance to win his second jackpot.
He bought 10 tickets. The winning ticket was the eighth one.
Robertson, father of three, said he'll probably take a vacation with the money for starters. And, he says, he'll continue to play the lottery games.
"I've got a little bit of experience."
One other winning ticket was purchased at a Stafford 6-10 Superette.