Winning ticket means holiday bonuses for gas station

When an unemployed Arlington man bought a winning lottery ticket last month, he wasn't the only winner.

The owner of the Lake Stevens Chevron station that sold the ticket -- and all his employees -- also came out with a little something extra.




Herald reporter Oscar Halpert writes in today's paper that a few weeks ago, Chevron-owner Bob Eaton wondered whether he'd be able to pay his employees holiday bonuses this year.

His family owns five Chevron stations in north Snohomish County, and the bonuses are a tradition. But Eaton told employees not to expect them this year -- not with the recession, he said.

But when Kristopher Johnson bought the winning ticket in the $6.5 million Washington's Lottery Lotto jackpot, things changed.

Oscar reports that selling the winning jackpot ticket meant the Frontier Village station received a commission equal to 1 percent of the jackpot — $65,000 — much of which will be distributed among 45 employees of the Eaton family's five stations.

“We knew instantly we were going to share a portion of it,” said Eaton.

Eight employees wore Santa hats Tuesday when Fil Gudmundson, the Washington Lottery regional manager, gave Eaton an oversized check.

James Mitchell, an employee at the Frontier Village station since 2008, told Oscar he was elated to learn he'd get a bonus this year.

“I'll be able to buy everyone more Christmas presents,” he said. “I thought I was going to be broke for Christmas.”

The Washington Lottery reports that commissions paid to retailers in fiscal year 2006 totaled $30.3 million. And Lottery retailers earned $529,000 in selling bonuses that year.