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Saker ShopRites Inc. – the owner of the Monmouth County liquor store that sold a Mega Millions ticket worth $1.13 billion  – plans to donate its $30,000 seller bonus to charity.

During a March 27 press conference at ShopRite Wines & Liquors on Route 66 in Neptune, Richard Saker, president and CEO of the family-owned grocery company, said the money will go to Fulfill. The community food bank serves the Jersey Shore through ShopRite’s Partners in Caring program.

Founded in 1999 as the supermarket chain’s signature hunger-fighting initiative, the program has donated more than $60 million to over 2,200 nonprofits. Beneficiaries include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care agencies, women’s shelters, senior citizen programs, drug rehab centers and afterschool programs.

Saker, a fourth-generation grocer who leads one of New Jersey’s largest supermarket operators is former chair of the New Jersey Food Council. “We at ShopRite are really thrilled for the winner. We’re thrilled for the state of New Jersey,” he said. “We’re thrilled for this community, Neptune.”

Saker added he was “very proud to accept this commission check on behalf of ShopRite Partners in Caring.”

According to lottery officials, a player in the Garden State matched all six numbers in the March 26 Mega Millions drawing, winning the jackpot. Whoever purchased the winning ticket also picked each number individually (7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the gold Mega Ball 4), instead of opting for automatically generated Quick Pick numbers.

There has not been a major Mega Millions winner since December 2023. At that time, two tickets in California matched the numbers for an estimated $395 million jackpot.

Some winning advice

The newest Mega Millions winner did not come forward by the time of the celebration at ShopRite. Under New Jersey law, lottery winners may remain anonymous and can claim their prizes up to a year after the drawing.

According to New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James Carey, the winner can choose a 30-year annuity, which starts with an initial payment of $16 million and increase 5% annually until a final payment of $69 million in the final year. He noted that most winners opt for a cash payout, which, in this case, would be $537.5 million.

Besides being the biggest jackpot in New Jersey history, it is the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever and eighth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history, Carey said.

“I used to live in Neptune. I live right down the street right now in Monmouth County, so I’m terribly excited for winners in Monmouth County. I’m terribly excited for winners in Neptune,” Carey said.

He also offered advice to the winner, including keeping the ticket in a safe place as well as signing the back. Carey encouraged them to speak with a lawyer and a financial advisor about how to handle the newfound wealth.

“Nobody is used to going from being a regular person to a millionaire or a hundred-millionaire overnight,” Carey said. He noted that New Jersey Lottery has a winner’s guide online offering information on the claim’s process and resources to help manage winnings.