Couple claims $180 million Powerball jackpot

Couple claims $180 million Powerball jackpot

Sue and Paul Rosenau talk with the media at the Minnesota State Lottery headquarters in Roseville, Minn. Tuesday May 6, 2008.

By Associated Press

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) - Paul and Sue Rosenau say they already have everything they need, so their lives won't change that much after winning a $180.1 million Powerball jackpot.

"We realize that money is probably not as important as friendship and helping others. And that's what we hope to do with it," Paul Rosenau said at a news conference Tuesday when they accepted a ceremonial check.

Rosenau, 54, is a heavy equipment operator and his wife, Sue, works at an agricultural research institute. The couple from Waseca will take the prize from last Saturday's drawing in a lump-sum of $59.6 million after taxes.

Their win came five years to the day of the death of a 2-year-old granddaughter, Makayla, who had Krabbe disease, a nervous system disorder.

"It's very emotional to know that there's a reason for this," Sue Rosenau said.

She said the family has been involved in trying to get a Krabbe test part of routine newborn screenings. Their winnings may go toward those efforts, but the Rosenaus haven't made any decisions.

"It's been such a whirlwind," Paul Rosenau said. "It still hasn't sunk in."

Rosenau said there are things he and his 54-year-old wife have dreamed of - a new house, a vacation to Hawaii, taking a trip with their children - but for the most part they felt fortunate before they found out they won the Powerball jackpot.

"We don't need a lot. We've got more than what we need," he said. "We want to have a regular life."
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