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| Kenmore Businesswoman Wins $2 Million on Internet |
| September 12, 2000
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Some people keep wish lists. Mary Johnston keeps a gift list.
Whenever she hears about a charity that seems worthwhile, she writes down the name.
"I kept thinking that when and if I ever come into money, I want this list - because I don't want to forget these people," she said.
Now a stroke of luck has landed Johnston in the money, big time: She just won $2 million from iWon.com, a Web site where users are entered in contests for prizes. And she hasn't forgotten that list.
"I've always wanted to make a difference," Johnston said yesterday from her home in Kenmore, where the reality of her sudden fortune was just starting to sink in. "And whattaya know, now I can do it."
A stay-at-home mother to her two sons, ages 3 and 5, Johnston also runs two small businesses out of her house, selling health products and doing interior design. She doesn't plan to stop working. She does plan to give away money; she particularly likes charities that help children, the environment and people with AIDS.
Johnston said she's been living in a "floaty, dreamy state" since someone from iWon.com called her with the news Thursday night. At first, she thought her husband was pulling her leg, but then she saw his face and realized it was no joke.
The family celebrated at a fancy restaurant, where Johnston and her husband splurged and ordered a bottle of wine. Other than that, she's not planning any major lifestyle changes, such as trading her used Volvo for a new Mercedes.
Much of the windfall will pay for the education of Johnston's sons as well as the expenses of raising two growing boys. Johnston and her husband were both in car accidents last year, and medical bills have eaten through much of their savings.
"We were going to be pinching pennies," she said. "It will be nice to not have to worry about that."
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