Description: North Carolina Marine Master Sergeant Alvin Mack II, whose son Alvin Bo Mack III passed away in 2020, has decided to use the $10 million lottery prize he won to keep his son's memory alive and give back to his community. Mack, who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years, purchased the winning $30 Supreme Riches ticket from the Publix on Marlin Drive in Jacksonville, Florida, in May 2020. He chose the lump sum payout and received $4,245,009 after taxes.
Mack has set up a tribute room in his home dedicated to his son, honoring his life as an athlete and an airman. He also plans to start a scholarship fund for student-athletes to honor his son, who was a former football quarterback in high school. The North Carolina Lottery initially offered four top prizes of $10 million, six prizes of $1 million, and 15 $100,000 prizes as part of the Supreme Riches game launched in April 2019.
In addition to honoring his son, Mack has been assisting the Fisher House Foundation, which builds comfort homes for military families as a residence when a family member is in the hospital. Mack's plan for the $10 million lottery prize is to donate to the Fisher House Foundation and continue to help others as he can, in his son's name.
Mack's decision to donate the lottery prize to the Fisher House Foundation and start a scholarship fund for student-athletes has touched the hearts of many in the community. "It's just amazing. It's very emotional for us, and we're very grateful for his generosity," said Mack's wife, Melissa. "We couldn't have asked for a better son."
Alvin Bo Mack III was an active-duty Air Force honor guard station at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when he died on May 24, 2020. He was 19 years old. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Mack III was a former high school football quarterback and was on track to attend college on a football scholarship before his passing. Mack II and his wife had three other children together.
Mack II, who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years, retired in May 2020 and moved back to Jacksonville from Okinawa, Japan, where they had lived for several years. When news of his son's passing spread, the family found themselves in need of financial assistance. It was then that the Fisher House Foundation stepped in to provide them with housing during what was a very difficult time.
Mack II has called the $10 million lottery prize a "blessing" and says he plans to use the money to help others as his son would have wanted. "I’ve always been a believer of luck, but in this case, I just felt like it was a little bit more than that," he said. "I plan on doing multiple donations to unspecified amounts right now, and I cannot say, but definitely more than one time."
It's a heartwarming story of love, loss, and perseverance, as a father honors his late son's memory with a generosity that's both profound and inspiring. Alvin Bo Mack III will never be forgotten, but his legacy will live on through the generosity and kindness of his father, Master Sergeant Alvin Mack II.