JONESBORO, Ark. — According to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, Robin Rhea of Jonesboro claimed his $75,000 lottery prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on Wednesday.
He will be splitting the money with his friend and employee, Greg Schaaf. The two men have a tradition of alternating buying lottery tickets a couple times each week.
Schaaf purchased the $3 10X Bonus Crossword instant ticket at Adoosh Mini Mart, 500 South Gee Street in Jonesboro on Monday.
“Greg and I have been close friends since high school, and we’ve also been working together for years,” said Rhea.
According to Schaaf, he bought the ticket during a stop to get a bottle of water.
“This weather has been scorching! We ran out of bottled water, so I ran to the store to purchase some more,” he said. “During my stop, I decided to purchase a lottery ticket and gave it to Robin when I got back to work.”
The two didn't actually scratch the lottery ticket until the next day, when they discovered they had won.
“I scratched the ticket after dinner. When I realized that it was a winner, I called Greg immediately. I knew I had to split the prize with my buddy,” Rhea said.
“When he told me the news, I was thrilled. I’ve been having a hard time lately and just decided to put it in God’s hands,” Schaff said. “Then all of a sudden – boom! My friend wins the lottery, and I’m blessed that he wants to split it with me.”
Rhea and Schaaf plan to pay tithes and bills with their winnings. They also want to donate to a rehabilitation facility in Jonesboro.