Dawsonville businessman ramped up over $1M win

ATLANTA – A $1 million lottery win has one Dawsonville businessman ramped up. Gary Smith, owner of Chestatee Boat Docks in Gainesville, won a top prize playing the Georgia Lottery instant game Extreme Green.

Smith, 52, said he purchased his lucky ticket next door to his business at Granny's Country Store, located at 4820 Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville. He was in the store’s parking lot when he scratched it.

"I had to sit there for a minute," he said.

In business for 28 years, the father of three plans to invest his winnings. He and his wife, Deborah, also have three grandchildren.

"I'm sure my wife and I will go to Aruba," he added.

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned more than $11 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program. More than 1.1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 940,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.