$266 Million Lottery Winners say First They'll Donate to Church

Aimee Herd : May 12, 2010
News Staff – KNBC, MSNBC

"I'm going to church…I'm going to thank God."

(Los Angeles, CA)—Jackie Cisneros, who works as a news editor for a local NBC TV station in L.A., didn't want the Hawaiian food her husband was craving for dinner, so he went by himself—and boy are they glad he did!

While at the restaurant, Gilbert decided to buy some lottery tickets, then headed home. The following morning, Jackie—at work at KNBC—noticed a report that said the winning lottery ticket had been purchased at the very same place Gilbert had gotten his dinner from that previous night. (Photo: MSNBC)

Excited, Jackie called her husband at home who then checked his tickets realizing, yes—he indeed had the one, and he was the winner of $266 million.

A hysterical Jackie, who decided to stay and finish her work since she was shaking too badly to drive home, said she "cried and laughed at the same time."

When she finally did arrive at home, Jackie's husband Gilbert informed her of the first thing they would do upon finding out the news…

"We're going to church, we're going to thank God," said Gilbert Cisneros, who recently had lost his job.

Later, during an interview on the Today Show, Gilbert added, "We're going to make sure we give back to those who need it—contributing to our alma maters and also giving back to our church."