Bay Area Store Becomes Second Luckiest Retailer In State After SuperLotto Win

When it comes to the California Lottery, the person holding the winning ticket isn't the only winner.

The thousands of establishments that sell those golden tickets also win — half of 1 percent of the jackpot amount.

And for in San Lorenzo, it's a winner many times over.

It recently , identified as Cora P.

The store will receive $55,000 for Cora's win. Store manager David Spahn said the money will likely go toward a number of different expenses at Kavanaugh's.

On Saturday, Jan. 7, Cora, who happens to be a regular according to Spahn, purchased her Quick Pick ticket — a ticket where five of the six numbers are randomly selected by a computer.

The next day, she came back to claim her prize after matching all six numbers: 35, 16, 2, 5, 31 and Mega 14. The odds of her winning such a jackpot was one in 41 million, according to information on the back of the SuperLotto Plus tickets.

"She was actually pretty calm," Spahn said. "One of the clerks seemed more excited than she did."

The clerk who sold Cora the ticket was also working that Sunday when the 87-year-old woman walked in to claim it and fill out the forms.

Spahn said aside from having one of the store's regulars win, the date also holds special significance.

"It happens to be on the anniversary of our first winner," Spahn said.

On January 7, 1989, the store had its first SuperLotto Plus winner who claimed $3.9 million.

Cora is the fourth SuperLotto Plus winner to strike it big at the San Lorenzo liquor store in the month of January.

"We don't know what it is," Spahn said with a smile. "We just know that January is our month. If you want to win, you play in January."

However, the biggest win for the store was made in September 10, 2003.

That day, the store was recognized as having sold a winning ticket worth $28.5 million — the largest jackpot to be awarded in SuperLotto Plus. Unfortunately, till this day the ticket remains unclaimed.

Cora's win bumped Kavanaugh's up on the California Lottery's "Lucky Retailers" list, which is based on how many $1 million-plus winners they have had. They share the spot with the Wills Fargo Country Store in Baker, Calif.

With each one of Kavanaugh's lottery wins comes a wave of millionaire hopefuls.

"We anticipate that business will pick up like it has in the past," Spahn said.

Sylvia Wright from Castro Valley was one of many who stopped by Kavanaugh's during the week to try her luck at the new $7 million jackpot.

"I don't come here all the time but after hearing about the big win, I couldn't resist," Wright said. "They [Kavanaugh's] sell enormous amounts of lottery tickets so I feel that the more Lotto tickets one sells, the more chance one has to be a winner."

She purchased three tickets that Tuesday afternoon, all which happened to be Quick Picks.

Among the winners at Kavanaugh's, only one used birthday numbers (1, 3, 8, 15, 21 and Mega 30). Four of the five were Quick Pick winners. But according to California Lottery official Elias Dominguez, Quick Pick numbers aren't necessarily the "luckiest."

"More people actually play Quick Pick because of its convenience," he said.