A French family who won €50 million (£42.6 million) on the EuroMillions in 2009 have transformed the lives of thousands of residents in their town through their fortune. Their generosity has benefited Saint-Michel's entire 3,200 population, including through committing €400,000 (£343,000) to back the town's 'Housing for All' scheme and settling a local nursing home's outstanding debt.
The family, who come from Saint-Michel in Charente, France, have opted to maintain a low profile and stay anonymous, adhering to the same daily habits they followed before acquiring their wealth. They have also been funding the local school's cafeteria ever since and have pledged to upgrade its facilities at a cost of €80,000 (£69,000).
Mayor praises 'fairy tale' generosity
Fabienne Godichaud, the mayor of Saint-Michel, told Lo Ici La Rochelle: "Their wish has now translated into a capital investment, addressing a reality: our schools no longer meet current standards regarding acoustics, air conditioning, or - at the very least- summer comfort."
Godichaud also told the AFP: "It's a bit like a fairy tale. The entire community is actually benefiting from this windfall. These people could have chosen not to share it with their fellow citizens. It's a wonderful lesson in civic responsibility."
School meals at special rate
Residents with children at the school will also benefit from the cafeteria's implementation of a special rate of just €1.50 (£1.29) for a balanced meal for all 180 pupils - a modest price 'in exchange' for the improvement of the facilities.
"It will be a welcome change, because the primary school dining hall, for instance, really needs it," said Sandrine Pelletier at the time, who now works as a maintenance staff member at the school - which she attended herself more than 40 years ago.
Community praise and next Superdraw
The fortunate winners' generosity prompted numerous locals to praise them in a guestbook at Saint-Michel's town hall. "I explained to my children the beauty of your gesture and the fact that such generosity is the mark of people with huge hearts," one mum wrote.
The next EuroMillions Superdraw takes place on Friday, September 25. Nobody won the jackpot on the night of the previous Superdraw (February 20) and it carried on rolling until 10th March, when a UK player matched all the numbers to win a cool £181 million.
A Superdraw is a special draw that guarantees a nine-figure jackpot, usually €130 million (£111 million), regardless of whether or not the top prize was won in the preceding draw. These jackpot events only take place a few times per year.
"Superdraws (also known as Super Jackpots in the UK and Megadraws in Ireland) operate under the same rules as regular draws and the only difference is the size of the guaranteed jackpot," EuroMillions' website advises. "If no player wins the jackpot, the top prize will roll over to the following draw and it will continue to roll over until it is won or it reaches the jackpot cap."
