Lottery numbers come up for four new millionaires

CHESAPEAKE

On Monday, with just a few hours left before the drawing, ticket sales picked up for the state's special $20 holiday New Year's Millionaire's Raffle lottery.

"It's going very good," said Delores Raper, an employee at The Border Station who was busy selling scratchers, Easy Picks and Mega Millions tickets. She said the limited-edition game attracted a few new players along with the regulars.

She expected to sell out at the last minute Monday as people remembered about the 11 p.m. drawing and the chance to wake up today either $1 million, $50,000 or $500 richer.

"This is the last chance," said Shawn McElroy, a North Carolina resident who stopped at The Border Station to buy a raffle ticket on his way home from work. "You can't win if you don't play."

Tickets, 440,000 of them, went on sale Nov. 4.

Monday, more than 40,000 tickets were still up for grabs. But they sold out long before the last minute; at

2:49 p.m., they were gone.

Raper was the only one behind the counter Monday afternoon who had purchased a raffle ticket. The Border Station, she said, usually gets quite a few winners.

"I might win. You never know, and I might be able to retire," she said.

Around 2:30 p.m. Donald Geer was buying his third raffle ticket at The Border Station.

"I'm addicted to it, keep thinking I'm gonna get lucky and win," said Geer, who lives in Virginia and planned on watching the 11 p.m. drawing. "This stuff's an addiction just like bingo or alcohol."

He heard about the raffle online and decided to purchase more than one ticket because the odds of winning were so good, he said.

What will he buy if he wins?

"Whatever my wife says," he said.

Amy Couteé, (757) 222-5216, amy.coutee@pilotonline.com