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Laramie family hits it big with $540,509 Cowboy Draw jackpot

Cheyenne, Wyoming

One lucky Wyoming family is reaping the benefits of playing Cowboy Draw after learning they purchased the winning ticket for the June 19 drawing. WyoLottoTM officials announced that Darlene Mayo of Laramie, Wyo., is the lucky jackpot winner. The winning ticket was purchased at Gateway Fuel and Liquors, located in Laramie, Wyo., at 2471 W Jackson St.

Mayo, a Laramie native, hasn’t always been a lottery enthusiast. As the money manager for her family – partner James Harry, son Michael, 11, and daughter Aryanna, 13  – Mayo is passionate about saving money. However, Harry is a frequent lottery player who has been playing Cowboy Draw since its inception. Recently, Harry decided to take his kids on a walk to the park to enjoy the summer weather. On a whim, he decided to drop into Gateway Fuel and Liquors and buy a Cowboy Draw ticket before returning home.

The night of the June 19 drawing, Mayo and Harry were checking the numbers on older tickets they’d previously purchased, but none were winners. Sensing Mayo’s disappointment reminded Harry of the last ticket he’d purchased, which he’d left in his pocket. He asked Mayo to read back the winning numbers, though he’d already memorized them, realizing that he held the winning ticket!

Harry gifted the winning ticket to Mayo as a show of appreciation for the hard work she does for their family, and WyoLotto issued the check in her name.

Mayo and her family have already formulated a list of plans for their jackpot winnings. The family was in the process of looking for a new home, and they now plan to move forward with a home purchase. Mayo will also pay off her car while she continues to work as the manager of a retail store in Colorado. With the winnings, Harry plans to turn his passion of restoring American muscle cars into a full-time business.

“All I want to do is work for myself and help the people I love,” Harry said about turning his hobby into his dream job.

The family will also share some of their winnings with other family members and put the remainder into savings. The excitement of the Cowboy Draw win is having a life-changing effect on the entire family. “My heart just keeps pounding!” said son Michael.

To celebrate the winning Cowboy Draw ticket, WyoLotto will be hosting a retailer party at Gateway Fuel and Liquors in Laramie, Wyo., on Friday, June 30, from 11 a.m. to 1p.m.

Meanwhile, WyoLotto is still searching for another Cowboy Draw jackpot winner, who holds a ticket worth $611,781. The winning ticket for the May 1 drawing was purchased on April 26 at Kegger’s, located at 749 Overthrust Rd., Evanston, Wyo. The winner must claim the jackpot within 180 days of the drawing, so check your tickets today before your jackpot expires!

The winning Cowboy Draw numbers drawn on May 1 were 11, 25, 28, 31, and 34.

WyoLotto offers four unique games, including Powerball, Mega Millions, Cowboy Draw and Lucky for Life. Since its launch in August of 2014, WyoLotto has distributed $32,784,709 in winnings with a total of 2,245,528 winning players. Players can follow the jackpot amounts by stopping by a local retailer or visiting wyolotto.com.