Tuckahoe Resident Susan Coliskey Wins $1 Million Lottery in New Hampshire

Susan Coliskey of Tuckahoe won the New Hampshire Lottery’s “Tax Free Million” contest this past weekend, as part of the festivities before the start of the SYLVANIA 300 NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Coliskey, who has vacationed at Twin Mountain in New Hampshire for decades, is a teacher’s aide for handicapped students and is married to a retired firefighter.

Below is the press release from the New Hampshire Lottery detailing Coliskey’s win:

Before a live audience of more than 100,000 people, the New Hampshire Lottery held its Tax Free Million drawing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway today before the start of the SYLVANIA 300. Susan Coliskey of Tuckahoe, New York, a long-time Twin Mountain, New Hampshire vacationer, won $1 million tax-free* in an exciting presentation taking place minutes ahead of the green flag dropped at the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 10 race playoffs.

“With race car engines revving in the background and more than 100,000 people in the stands, you could feel the excitement on the center stage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery. “We like to think the New Hampshire Lottery invented lucky back in 1964 when the Lottery was created. Today we congratulate our latest lucky winner, Susan Coliskey! I cannot think of a better atmosphere for winning $1 million!”

“So many thoughts went through my mind leading up to the drawing but I didn’t want to jinx myself,” said Susan Coliskey a teacher’s aide for handicap students who along with her retired firefighter husband Butch, has been vacationing in Twin Mountain, NH for 38 years. “When it came time to open the large envelope, I was having trouble and Governor Hassan provided some assistance. When I looked down I saw a one and a zero I thought I won $10,000. Then all of a sudden everyone started pointing at me and cheering and I saw it was $1 million! I still can’t believe it! I must have got 10 marriage proposals as I walked off stage!”

Coliskey was one of eleven finalists to take part in the Tax Free Million drawing. The eleven finalists were each selected from a preliminary drawing held earlier this summer from non-winning $20 Tax Free Million scratch tickets. Each contestant was presented with an oversized envelope containing a prize amount. Executive Director McIntyre and race fans counted down as the finalists revealed their prize amounts all at once on New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Center Stage. While Coliskey won the tax-free $1 million prize the remaining contestants won prizes of $5,000 or $10,000.

When asked what she would do with her prize winnings, Coliskey noted she was going to retire after decades of teaching, help pay for a daughter’s upcoming wedding and save money for her 17 month-old granddaughter and more grandchildren she hopes are on the way. She also intends on extending her yearly New Hampshire camping vacation by a few extra months. Coliskey added, “We usually come to New Hampshire during July and August – but I think now we’ll be visiting from May through October!”

*Per Federal Law 25% of gross prize is taxed.

Photo: From left, Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, Debra Douglas, Chair, New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the $1 million winner, Susan Coliskey. Photo credit: New Hampshire Lottery