Guy Repairs Guitar for Free, Gets Half $1M Lottery Jackpot

After he wouldn't take payment, his friend spent the money on scratch cards
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 21, 2022 10:26 AM CDT
Guy Repairs Guitar for Free, Gets Half $1M Lottery Jackpot
Eric Cochrane opted for the one-time payment option of $650,000, lottery officials say.   (Getty Images/Mykola Sosiukin)

"A good deed is its own reward," the saying goes—but for a northern Massachusetts man, a massive financial reward for helping a friend arrived within an hour. State lottery officials say Methuen guitar store owner John Galvin refused to accept payment when his friend Eric Cochrane brought his son's guitar in for repair, WMUR reports. The lottery says Galvin repaired the guitar for free because he knew Cochrane's son had a health issue earlier in the week.

Lottery officials say that after Cochrane insisted that Galvin take at least $40 for the repair and Galvin refused, Cochrane said he would buy two $20 instant tickets, and "if I win $1 million, we are splitting it," CBS Boston reports. Within an hour, the friends were on their way to lottery headquarters after one of the scratch tickets won $1 million in the $10,000,000 Winter Riches game. Cochrane opted for the cash option of $650,000 before taxes and will be splitting it with Galvin as promised, lottery officials say. (More lottery stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X