Feature: The Million Dollar Man

By Mark Vasto
For most people, winning a million bucks in the lottery would be a life changing experience.

Some would travel the world, maybe buy a new house or car (or fend off distant relatives looking for a handout). Not so for Parkville's newest millionaire, Tim Sawyers.
“I might go out for dinner,” he told media gathered at the local Hen House, where he purchased the ticket. “I don't know where, though…I usually just put something in the microwave.”

Sawyers found out he had a winning ticket when he stopped by the Missouri Lottery regional office in Independence to check previously purchased tickets. Using an automated “Check-a-Ticket” machine, Sawyers slipped a ticket in the slot and was met with this reply:

“You have $1.1 million.”

If the machine's reaction seemed a bit muted, it had nothing on Sawyer.

“Well, I [was] excited, kind of,” Sawyers said. “I just gave it to the lady and asked if the machine was lying.”

The machine was telling the truth. Sawyers matched all six numbers for the Oct. 14 Lotto drawing, winning the $1.1 million jackpot. He used Quick Pick to select the winning numbers: 3, 7, 18, 19, 27 and 42.

Sawyers is retired from a career with the Internal Revenue Service. He explained that as a former tax examiner, he located misapplied payments and saw that individuals accounts were credited, making him one of the "good guys." His service with the IRS influenced his decision to take the annuity option, with the $1.1 million prize paid out in 30 installments.

“If I can recall, they can only tax what I receive per year,” Sawyers said. “That’s the first meeting I have set up next week, at the IRS, to figure this all out.”

He isn’t the only beneficiary of his winning ticket. Hen House will receive an amount equal to one percent of the jackpot, or $11,000.

“The woman who sold it to me said, ‘I bet I just sold you the winning ticket,’” Sawyers recounted. When asked if that gave him a special feeling for that particular drawing, he was non-commital.

“Not really... I think they say that to everybody,” Sawyers said.

Lotto is a numbers game that pays out $1 million dollars for a $5 ticket. This is the 194th Lotto jackpot awarded in Missouri and the 286th Missouri-made millionaire since the games began in 1986.