Athena Korines, 51, of Elk Grove Village; and Rob Devine, 61, of Des Plaines, began pooling their money occasionally to buy instant lottery tickets, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Devine, a self-employed remodeling contractor, bought the winning ticket at Chestnut Wine and Spirits at 1762 Waukegan Rd. in Glenview, a statement from the Lottery said.
"I didn't believe it was real! When it finally sunk in, we signed the back of the ticket, put it in my purse and drove straight to the Illinois Lottery Center in Des Plaines," Korines, who works as a bartender at Potato Creek Johnny's in Glenview, said in the statement.
The single mother of three plans to share with her children and buy a house. Devine plans to invest for retirement.
The friends chose the cash option of $600,000, the statement said. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus, one percent of the prize amount.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2013.)
