MARYSVILLE A father of two with another child due this summer, Hans Stampfli spent the last four years taking night classes, working to earn a law degree.
But on June 26, Stampfli, 29, won big before even trying his first case.
Stampfli is the Marysville resident who took home to his growing family one of three $1 million prizes in Washington Lotterys Million
Dollar Raffle.
The most obvious question to ask Stampfli was how felt when he first noticed the numbers on his ticket appeared to match the winning ones.
Incredible, was his answer. I actually didnt believe myself at first.
Stampfli said he asked three or four people to double-check the numbers.
Talking in a lottery office in Everett June 27, Stampfli added he wasnt sure the reality of having won truly had sunk in yet.
I still keep waiting for somebody to come up and say it was all a mistake, he said.
Incidentally, Stampflis winning digits, randomly assigned, were 001857 and appeared on a ticket he picked up at the Marysville Safeway on State Avenue.
Stampfli said he doesnt think of himself as a big-time lottery player, but said he normally buys about three or four tickets a month.
This was the second time the lottery has offered its so-called Million Dollar Raffle, in which a limited number of tickets are sold so as to increase a players odds of winning. Stampfli said he bought one ticket for the first raffle and liked the idea behind the drawing. When he heard about the second raffle, he decided to purchase two of the $20 tickets.
Believe it or not, Stampfli gave one of the tickets away.
I guess I kept the right one, he said, laughing.
After taxes, Stampfli took home $750,000. A lottery official said the state withholds 25 percent on any winnings over $5,000 for federal taxes.
As for his future, Stampfli said he has no intentions of quitting his job as a legal assistant. He further plans to continue his quest to become an attorney, with passing the bar exam the only obstacle in his way. Along with it how it felt to win, Stampfli added questions on his continued employment plans were probably the most common following his big win.
I find the current work very rewarding, Stampfli said, and I want to keep going forward.
Speaking just a short time after claiming his prize, Stampfli said he and wife Margaret had come up with no big plans for the money other than to pay off their mortgage. Asked about a new car, a boat or a really nice vacation, Stampfli said those were all worthy ideas.
We just dont know yet, he said, though he added he and his wife are definitely due for a really, really nice dinner.
With sales beginning May 4, the state produced only 375,000 of the second round of Million Dollar Raffle tickets. There were two other $1 million winners in addition to Stampfli. Those winners had not surfaced as of late the afternoon of June 27.
The raffle also included four $100,000 winners and 350 winners of $1,000. All the winning numbers are available on the Washingtons Lottery Web site, www.walottery.com.