Have you ever daydreamed about the things you would do if you were given a large sum of money? Some people would take extravagant trips, while others would pay off their debts and invest wisely. This story is about a family that won a lottery jackpot of $300 million, but what they did with their winnings would shock their friends, family, and neighbors.Unfortunately, this never happens for most people. Mark and Cindy Hill were just like other people. They knew that they most likely wouldn’t win the lottery, but they liked playing anyways.
So they decided to adopt a little girl from China. Unfortunately, even though Mark was working in a meat processing plant, the couple was facing hard times because Cindy had lost her job.
The town only had 500 residents, which means that it was the type of town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Luckily, the Hills had the reputation of being modest, decent people.
They began to really take notice of the Powerball advertisements. After all, it was extremely difficult to ignore the huge billboard declaring how much money was in the Powerball.
Cindy went to the gas station and bought five lottery tickets. She didn’t believe that picking certain numbers would help her odds, so she let the computer pick her numbers out for her. It was it fate’s hands now.
The couple understood that their chances of winning were slim to none, but it was still fun to watch the drawing, knowing that they had a stake in the money. As the announcer started to draw the balls, the couple was amused to see that some of their numbers matched.
The Hills watched as their numbers continued to match the numbers that were being called on the TV. And then it was over. The Hills won the Powerball and they knew that their lives were about to change forever.
Now that the Hills were $300 million richer they were the talk of the town. And it seemed like everyone they spoke to wanted to know the same thing: what were they going to do with the money?
Would Mark and Cindy allow the money to change who they were as people, or would they use the money to show who they were as people? The whole community would soon see who the Hills really were.
A lot of big winners spend their earnings on mansions and sports cars. And others decide to spend all of their money in a short amount of time, causing them to go into even more debt than they were in before.
This 16-year-old girl spent her fortune on shopping trips, cosmetic surgery, and long nights out, partying until the wee hours of the morning. It took a very short amount of time for Callie’s bank account to be completely emptied out.
They didn’t need to live a lavish lifestyle, that was for sure. But what were they going to do? As they thought about using their money to help other people, they enjoyed a bit of their money.
Instead of putting her money to good use, this two-time lottery winner wasted all of her money in the casinos of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. $5 million and a gambling addiction later, she’s living in a trailer. Luckily, the Hills had much better sense than that.
Cindy wanted to use some of the money to travel around the world with her family. “We want to go back to China, Ireland of course – we’re Irish – and wherever the wind takes us,” she explained.
His current truck was in pretty poor condition, so he decided to buy himself a new truck. Then, the couple decided it was time to put the money to good use. They began to think about Mark’s dad.
Mark knew that he could never repay the firefighters and EMTs that saved his dad’s life, but he could certainly help make their jobs a bit easier. So Mark set up a meeting with the police chief. –
Walt was blown away when the couple explained to him that they wanted to share some of their winnings with the fire department. Walt began thinking about new equipment, or if they were lucky, a new truck! But Mark and Cindy had something else in mind.
The Hills wanted to build a brand new firehouse! You see, the firehouse that they were currently using was quite a distance from the main roads, which could be a liability in an emergency situation. The new firehouse was going to be right next to the highway, making it easier for the firefighters to get where they needed to go.
The garage would have more space for the emergency vehicles, and there would be living quarters for the employees that were pulling long shifts. Everyone realized that Cindy and Mark were going above and beyond anything that could have been expected of them. But there was more!
They were able to pay for a new baseball field for the little ones that was further away from busy roads. They were also able to build a new sewage treatment plant for their community.
The couple knew that the children deserved to have a good future, but they understood that money was definitely an issue for most of them. So they set up a scholarship fund for students.
What the Hills did would have taken the town 25 years to come up with the money to get done. “I’ve said all along that these lottery winnings could not have gone to a better couple,” said Mayor Kevin Boydston.
Because of Cindy and Mark, everyone in the town had something to celebrate. Because of their generous donations, the whole town felt wealthy, as well!
Mark and Cindy really showed off their incredible generosity when they won the lottery. Our hats go off to this inspirational couple and hopefully, their giving spirit encouraged many others to do what they can to help, as well!
You don’t have to be rich to make a difference. You could help organize a community garden, read to the elderly, take shelter dogs for walks, or become a big brother/sister. There are plenty of people that need help in this world, but definitely not enough people willing to help. If you want to make a difference in someone’s life, then start today! Make some phone calls, put yourself out there, and “be the change you wish to see in the world”!
