Religious Powerball winner plans to use most of the money to support the performing arts

[onehandle]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man with a winning $259 million Powerball ticket claimed what officials are calling the largest jackpot ever won in Tennessee, and says he plans to use most of the money to support the performing arts.

Roy Cockrum of Knoxville appeared Thursday at the Tennessee Lottery headquarters in Nashville to claim the prize. He plans to accept a lump sum payment of $115 million.

Cockrum, 58, bought the ticket at a Kroger store in Knoxville on June 11. Before becoming a millionaire, he worked for 20 years as an actor and stage manager for theater and TV productions.

He later became known as Brother Roy, as he followed a call to religious service with The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Episcopal religious community in Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the society's "Rule of Life," members of the monastic order take "lifelong vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience in an enduring fellowship."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/tennessee-man-claims-259-million-powerball-prize-0

Won in my Deep South. Lucky it was this guy. Could have been a GOPNRAteahadist looking to fight the 'urban problem' or provide kindergarten kids with handguns.

[shenmue]

1. Wow!

Guy sounds pretty cool.

[longship]

2. Episcopals can be pretty damned laid back.

And quite liberal, too. Many of them, anyway.

[AngryAmish]

3. Tell that to Mary, Queen of Scots

[Orrex]

4. Too soon.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

6. Guffaw...

[littlemissmartypants]

7. Guffaw too.

[cactusfractal]

9. Heh +1000

[AngryAmish]

10. nice

[longship]

5. Correction: today's Episcopals... (Etc) nt

[packman]

8. Think about it though---

Vow of poverty, so he goes out to spend a buck or two on a lottery ticket . What was his expectations - not to win? The Devil's hand is obviously at work here tempting him with the riches of the world.

Nevertheless, good for him.

[Tom_Foolery]

15. That was my first thought, too...

But more power to him and the people who will benefit from his luck.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. I was just thinking that

why was he participating in the devil's lottery?

[Fla Dem]

18. Because...........

He probably never expected to win the HUGE lottery, but was hoping for some winnings that

A. would help him not live in poverty.
B. maybe to help an aging parent, or other relative
C. help others less fortunate than himself
D. start a foundation that will support performing arts organizations around the country, oh wait that is what he's going to do.

[navarth]

11. How refreshing. This guy really walks the walk.

It's truly wonderful when a religious person turns out to be a good person and not a deluded hypocrite.

[DesertDiamond]

12. There are certain Christian sects that tend to be awesomely non-extremist...

Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, to name a few

[awoke_in_2003]

23. Tell that to Hedley

My grandfather was a Methodist minister, so I always laugh at this scene

[AlbertCat]

13. TN is the deep south?

But nice story anyway.

[bluestateguy]

14. My personal favorite Powerballl winner was Andrew J. Whittaker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Whittaker_%28lottery_winner%29

(I was being sarcastic)

[nilesobek]

17. I should stop playing after reading your link.

Money like that could destroy a man.

[LiberalLovinLug]

19. Can you imagine what a "professional leftist" like one of us could do with the $ ?

Limpballs would be crying

[onehandle]

20. I would buy every property around his Florida mansion...

...and build halfway houses specializing in drug rehabilitation for the poor.

[LiberalLovinLug]

22. Nice

If Elizabeth Warren would run I'd put a swack of it in her war chest.

This would make a good thread topic. Anyone else?

[frazzled]

21. I'm so glad to see the arts put in the spotlight for "charity"

American arts--performing and visual and literary--are the "soul" of our nation, and in past times helped to bolster respect and admiration for our country abroad. They also give sustenance to our citizens, both poor and rich alike. Great plays, music, art nourish us. We can't be all about money, sports, and guns.

It is a shame that ever since the early 1990s, when the "Gingrich revolution" began the culture wars, we have put the arts on the back, back, back burner. The National Endowment for the Arts is all but decimated, with a teeny tiny budget and an insipid mandate. We've left it to the millionaires and billionaires to support our artistic enterprises ... leaving many of the more experimental or local or difficult, marginal arts in the dust: exactly the ones that foster new forms and ideas.

It's good that this simple man wants to contribute to the nourishment of our pleasures and inspirations. Our souls could use a little boost these days.

[awoke_in_2003]

24. are arts even on the oven anymore?

A couple of my favorite high school memories were going to Playhouse Square in Cleveland to see Billy Budd and Death of a Salesman with my English Lit class.