College Times

Media Credit: Ryan Ruiz

When your mom tells you to do something, you probably reassure her that you will and then forget about it.

But when the mother of Ted Myers, a 22-year-old Arizona State University journalism graduate, called, he listened and it paid off in life-altering ways.

After his mother urged him to enter a contest on the Edge 103.9 radio station to win a raffle ticket for the Health and Wealth Raffle, Myers did and won the ticket. Turned out, it was a winner.

A house built by T.W. Lewis, a Mercedes Benz ML320 CDI and $100,000 was the prize package that Myers won, without even fronting the cash for the ticket.

“I’m a dreamer,” said Myers. “It’s just like now, every dream or opportunity has been completely enabled.”

College Times: What about the taxes you still have to pay on all the prizes?

Ted Myers: I still have to pay taxes. But there’s the cash out option. I think it’s something like $949,500.

So that’s if you choose to take the $100,000 and the cash values of the car and the house?

Well, I have to take the car. But it’s what the house and the $100,000 is together. That’s what I’m leaning toward, because if I decide to keep the house, there’s no way I could pay the bills.

Who was the first person you told? Why?

My mom. I called her and told her because she was the one who told me about it in the first place. At first, she didn’t believe me and thought I was joking, but when she realized I was telling the truth, she started freaking out. My dad was home at the time, and he was really skeptical. He called the people at the radio station to make sure that they weren’t scamming me. He thought it was a practical joke, and that I was messing with him.

What are you going to do with the money?

My older brother is currently working through the process of adopting a child. He was going to put all the expenses on credit cards, but since I can, I’m going to help him pay for that. I’m also in a band, and we’re working on an album right now. We were also planning on putting all of that on credit cards, but now I’m paying for it. Anything to help those in my close circle and make it easier, I want to do.

Are you going to change as a result of all of this?

My father said it was overnight. He said I matured in the span of one night. Now there are consequences that I have to deal with, because if I get in an accident, they can sue me for all I’ve got now, instead of just the insurance premium. It was a sobering experience. My personality is not going to change, though.

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