83°F
weather icon Clear
Las Vegas, NV
Nation and World

Iowa Powerball winner donates $500K to veterans group

Lerynne West, of Redfield, Iowa, arrives to claim her share of a nearly $700 million Powerball prize, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive, Iowa. West was one of two winners of a $688 million jackpot drawn Oct. 27. She'll share the prize with someone who bought the other winning ticket in New York City. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
In this Nov. 5, 2018, file photo, Lerynne West, of Redfield, Iowa, speaks to the media after arriving in Clive, Iowa, to claim her share of a nearly $700 million Powerball prize. West announced on the Ellen Lee DeGeneres show broadcast Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, that she has donated $500,000 to the Travis Mills Foundation, a Maine-based organization that offers programs for disabled veterans. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
More Stories
FILE - June Lockhart, right, who played the character of Ruth Martin, mother of Timmy Martin, p ...
June Lockhart, beloved mother figure from ‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost In Space,’ dies at 100
Geoff Schumacher, the vice president of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum, poses outside ...
Think the Mafia is gone? Think again, Mob Museum expert says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a roundtable on criminal cartels with President Do ...
US is sending an aircraft carrier to Latin America in major escalation of military buildup
FILE - The Social Security Administration's main campus is seen in Woodlawn, Md., Jan. 11, ...
Social Security recipients get a 2.8% cost-of-living boost in 2026
The Associated Press
November 15, 2018 - 8:28 am
 

DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa woman who shared a nearly $700 million Powerball lottery jackpot has donated $500,000 to a veterans group.

Lerynne West announced on the Ellen DeGeneres Show broadcast Wednesday that she gave the money to the Travis Mills Foundation. The Maine-based organization offers programs for disabled veterans.

Before announcing her gift, West recounted buying the winning ticket at a convenience store in the small Iowa community of Redfield, then leaving it on the floor of her sister’s pickup. After submitting her ticket to officials, she promised to use her winnings to help others.

West says it’s important “that we never forget the sacrifices our soldiers and families make for our country.”

Robert Bailey of New York City bought the other winning ticket.

MOST READ
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
US Vice President JD Vance arrives at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Oct. 21, 2025. Vance is ...
Vance hails progress on Gaza peace accord despite violence
By Hadriana Lowenkron and Dan Williams Bloomberg News

The vice president traveled to the region about a week after President Donald Trump unveiled a U.S.-led agreement to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.

MORE STORIES