Lotto Winners give money away

Corsendonk

Are they mad or got life sorted?

BBC News

A Canadian couple who won $10.9m (£6.7m) in lottery winnings in July say they have given away $10.2m of the prize to groups in their community.

Allen and Violet Large said they were plain country folks who needed no more than "what we've got".

The two said they had donated about 98% of the cash after helping their family.

The elderly pair gave the money to churches, fire departments, cemeteries, the Red Cross and hospitals, where Ms Large has undergone cancer treatment.

"We haven't bought one thing. That's because there is nothing that we need," Mr Large, 75, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr Large, a retired welder from Canada's Nova Scotia province, added that he and his wife were quite content with their 147-year-old home and everything else they already owned.

"You can't buy happiness," he said

Biggins

Fair play to them.

Sauve

Fair play is right.....I hope I'm that wise someday

Snakeblood

Corsendonk wrote: »

Are they mad or got life sorted?

BBC News

WHY BUY THE TICKET?!

Sigh.

J. Marston

Mentalists.

ottostreet

id have kept a million

Biggins

Sauvignon82 wrote: »

....I hope I'm that wise someday

Your half way there already if you recognise their wisdom.

Cathmandooo

That's amazing!

Snakeblood wrote: »

WHY BUY THE TICKET?!

Sigh.

Because they got to sort out their family, and give to good causes close to their hearts

prinz

I wonder if they have any kids? :pac: ... they probably wouldn't be too happy.

Either way, sound move. I have a lot of respect. I bet they are happier with their lot than a lot of millionaires.

Duggy747

What!?! Selflessness!?! Helping others?








*rubs eyes*











Something ain't right here!! That's an incredible thing for anyone to do, giving away their winnings like that.

Biggins

bennyx_o wrote: »

Fair play to them but why bother doing it if you don't want the money?!

Why do some people play the horses or play bingo when they know they don't stand much chance of becoming millionaires?

It passes the time and its possibly an interest.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Fair play to 'em (etc) but if they didn't keep a little nest egg they're idiots IMO.

Snakeblood

Cathmandooo wrote: »

That's amazing!



Because they got to sort out their family, and give to good causes close to their hearts

Well, if you're going to bring common decency into it.

jackiebaron

Allen and Violet Large give away their lotto winnings.


That was big of them :P

fonecrusher1

Who the hell do they think they are? :mad:

Duggy747

Faith restored in humanity = 5%

ScumLord

It's they're choice but I wonder how well they've set them selves up for any future financial problems.

I suppose they've sent out enough good will that half the local area owes them one now and I'd guess the community would rally around them should anything happen.

If they like their lifestyle and the place where they live it would almost be more useful to be on good standing with everyone rather than have money which probably would alienate them from everyone around them.

gbee

Snakeblood wrote: »

WHY BUY THE TICKET?! Sigh.

Good question! However, given their response, they probably bought the ticket because some of the money would have gone to local amenities, just as ours does, so they were probably just supporting this aspect of it.

Biggins

jackiebaron wrote: »

Allen and Violet Large give away their lotto winnings.

That was big of them :P

I was going to belittle that pun but I though better of it.

prinz

ScumLord wrote: »

I suppose they've sent out enough good will that half the local area owes them one now and I'd guess the community would rally around them should anything happen. If they like their lifestyle and the place where they live it would almost be more useful to be on good standing with everyone rather than have money which probably would alienate them from everyone around them.

+1. Some people don't seem to have learned anything from 'It's A Wonderful Life'...

marxcoo

That's sound of them. I suppose if they feel that they aren't wanting for anything, then there's no point in going around flashing cash. No point in letting the grandkids feel like they are entitled to money for nothing.

Nozebleed

gimps

AntiRip

From I read of the article they're an elderly couple (75) that kept $700,000 for themselves and gave the majority of it away to the must needy in society. I'm sure giving it away like that made them feel pretty great and they still have more than enough for the rest of their lives.

Biggins

Nozebleed wrote: »

gimps

Nice. :rolleyes:

Duggy747

AntiRip wrote: »

From I read of the article they're an elderly couple (75) that kept $700,000 for themselves and gave the majority of it away to the must needy in society. I'm sure giving it away like that made them feel pretty great and they still have more than enough for the rest of their lives.

Shìt, I'd be pretty happy if I won $700,000!!

Finally, after a week of fùckin' misery with non-stop rain, non-stop threads on government doom & gloom, pointless religious debates, and getting a thumbtack stuck in the sole of my boot this morning, it's nice to read some good news every once in a while!

Funny, I imagine if they spent their money on fast cars, boats and luxury houses people would be saying: "FFS!! They're old, they don't need that money!!"

zeusnero

fair fúcks to them - great to see that kind of generosity these days

Kintarō Hattori

I saw that earlier today and thought it was brilliant. What a really amazing couple.

ROCKMAN

Sorry but they muppets ,As someone asked ,why buy a ticket ??????
If you are going to do this .....


Ok I would/could understand giving it to family but CEMETERIES :eek::eek:

MUPPETS......

MazG

Heh heh - some of the posts here just prove that there is no issue/topic in the world that everyone would agree on.

The reason for the existence of boards.ie, I guess!

123balltv

thats nice of them they'll definitely get a place in heaven
If I won the lotto I'd ........

look after myself buy a house, flash car, luxuries etc

take care of my family let them live comfortably no stress

then I'd give the rest to charity especially anything to with cancer or hospices centres.

Calibos

Its unclear whether they gave 98% of the remainder after looking after their family or 98% of the total, keeping 2% to look after the family. Then again it says they kept 700,000 which is more than 2%

I love my parents but if they did that I don't know whether I would be able to talk to them for a while, "Ye bat**** crazy oul...."

Look, I can totally understand the likes of Bill Gates not wanting to create a multi century Gates dynasty where all his decendents might end up lazy wasters still living off the mega billions he made centuries before and thus he is giving it all away bar 10 million dollars for each of his kids. However I cannot understand parents giving away financial security for their offspring. If they had 4 kids thats just over 2 million each. Thats not 'ruining' your kids with money, thats just setting them up without money worries for life. I'd have said fairplay maybe if they kept half and gave away half. This isn't about no prospect of Ferrari's or McMansions for the family, this is about financial security. Given the cost of Healthcare in the US, that 700,000 they kept won't last long if the mother gets cancer again or the daughter gets a brain tumour etc etc

All those saying fairplay at giving away 98% or 6 million whichever the case may be, just want to appear 'right on'. What they did was insane and there is no two ways about it.

Gamer2010

Calibos wrote: »

Given the cost of Healthcare in the US, that 700,000 they kept won't last long

They're Canadians

prinz

Calibos wrote: »

All those saying fairplay at giving away 98% or 6 million whichever the case may be, just want to appear 'right on'. What they did was insane and there is no two ways about it.

Depends, could be they have no kids, and no close family. Better they give it away to good causes so they can see the benefits of their gift while still alive.

MazG

Calibos wrote: »

Its unclear whether they gave 98% of the remainder after looking after their family or 98% of the total, keeping 2% to look after the family. Then again it says they kept 700,000 which is more than 2%

I love my parents but if they did that I don't know whether I would be able to talk to them for a while, "Ye bat**** crazy oul...."

Look, I can totally understand the likes of Bill Gates not wanting to create a multi century Gates dynasty where all his decendents might end up lazy wasters still living off the mega billions he made centuries before and thus he is giving it all away bar 10 million dollars for each of his kids. However I cannot understand parents giving away financial security for their offspring. If they had 4 kids thats just over 2 million each. Thats not 'ruining' your kids with money, thats just setting them up without money worries for life. I'd have said fairplay maybe if they kept half and gave away half. This isn't about no prospect of Ferrari's or McMansions for the family, this is about financial security. Given the cost of Healthcare in the US, that 700,000 they kept won't last long if the mother gets cancer again or the daughter gets a brain tumour etc etc

All those saying fairplay at giving away 98% or 6 million whichever the case may be, just want to appear 'right on'. What they did was insane and there is no two ways about it.

But why would they be obliged to set their children up for life? For all we know, their children may already be very successful and well off in their own right. Or they may be living modestly and feel the same as their parents.

Look, if you were to win the lotto and keep a large amount of it for the reasons outline above, I'd think, 'fair enough, it's Calibos's money and it's his/her business'. I certainly wouldn't accuse you of being insane

Mike 1972

Dayton Silly Utopia wrote: »

but if they didn't keep a little nest egg they're idiots IMO.

Perhaps they already had one ?

prinz wrote: »

I wonder if they have any kids? :pac: ... they probably wouldn't be too happy.

Perhaps they were planning to leave all their money to the dogs home anyway.

Why is a sense of entitlement considered okay when its in relation to inherited wealth ?

MazG

Ooh ooh ooh!

OR

Their kids are thoroughly unpleasant and giving the money away is a big 'f-you' from the parents...

Just another theory why their actions may be sane

Calibos

prinz wrote: »

Depends, could be they have no kids, and no close family. Better they give it away to good causes so they can see the benefits of their gift while still alive.

Does the original article not mention 'looking after the family'?

If they were childless and given their age then that changes things big time and their decision becomes a very rational one. Keep enough for their remaining decade or so of life and make direct financial contributions to their own community rather than the state claiming the fortune when they die and everyone in the country benefiting to the tune of 10cent each

Guy:Incognito

Biggins wrote: »

Fair play to them.

I nearly though tthe same then:

wrote:

The elderly pair gave the money to churches, fire departments, cemeteries, the Red Cross and hospitals, where Ms Large has undergone cancer treatment..

This is the main problem with old peopel and money, they give it to the bloody church.

Biggins

Stekelly wrote: »

I nearly though the same then...

This is the main problem with old peopel and money, they give it to the bloody church.

I can understand the consternation by some but maybe, just maybe they know of a local decent church organisation that is actually doing some very good work (they do exist of that I have no doubt).
Also someone was not happy that some of their money went to a cemetery.
Well maybe there is fund there that involved paying for graves that some might not be able to afford? We just don't know.

We do know a few things however.
We know they gave most of their money away in a big hearted gesture of decent kindness.
We know that others will benefit in some way, big or small, from their own good luck.
We know they refused to let their millions rot away doing no possible good, sitting in a bank account.
We know that they are still happy and content with life, their luck and with each other.

...Now if we all could could be so lucky as them in general. I still say fair play to them.

karlog

It's great when good people win the lottery. Last thing we need is another story like Michael Carroll, the lottery winning chav.

ejmaztec

They probably had three billion Dollars to start with.

squeakyduck

Wouldn't be into doing that myself. If I won the lotto tomorrow I'd put it all in a high interest savings account and watch it grow!

Pherekydes

Allen and Violet Large...

That was big of them.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Wow, great people is all I can say. The personal satisfcation they'll receive off that will be better than anything, and they still have $700k so happy days

Dempsey

Why do the lotto if you are going to do that?

Money cant buy you happiness but they got alot of satisfaction/happiness from helping out their own families and local community. Money can buy happiness and I rather spend it on ME, My Enjoyment!

Terry

Duggy747 wrote: »

Faith restored in humanity = 5%

Faith lost in humanity as this thread progresses = 0%. It's AH after all.


As things stand in this country, if you need more that €40,000 a year to live a comfortable life, then you're doing something seriously wrong.