Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 10, 1993                   TAG: 9308100223
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff and wire reports
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

TICKET HOLDER'S LOSS $1.9 MILLION GAIN FOR LITERARY FUND

A home at the lake maybe, with plenty of money left over for the kids' college fund and a retirement nest egg. Or a world cruise for you and your spouse - every year for the rest of your days.

Well, too bad. The Virginia Lottery had the money and couldn't give it away. So as of 5 p.m. Monday, it was forfeited to a good cause: the Virginia Literary Fund, which will use it to help build schools.

The money was from the Feb. 10 Lotto drawing, on a ticket sold at a Farm Fresh supermarket in Virginia Beach. The holder of that winning ticket, with the numbers 8, 11, 13, 16, 18 and 20, failed to present it within the 180 days set by state law, so the money now goes to the Literary Fund. The fund will receive more than $96,000 annually for each of the next 20 years.

"We had hoped the winner would come forward," said Lottery Director Ken Thorson. "Paying these large prizes to lucky players is what the lottery is all about."

The prize still could go to the winner if the person is on active duty in the military. Military personnel must claim prizes as soon as practicable, and in any event no later than 180 days after leaving active duty.

The prize forfeited Monday was the largest to go unclaimed ever in Virginia. The Literary Fund has received a total of $17 million in unclaimed lottery winnings, however, on prizes of up to $50,000.