Hope @calottery sees this.
I have had an idea for the longest time that has to my knowledge never been done. So, since I live in California and we have such a wonderful lottery here, I want them to be the recipients of the first chance at this, so here's the idea:
Donate the unclaimed cash. Now, I know many people have suggested this for a long, long time to you, but read me out ( I would say hear, but I'm not speaking, I am writing).
Donate the unclaimed cash to individuals, not organizations. Not to the schools. The schools get the lion's share of the money from the lottery because that was the original charter for it, but in today's world, what would it be like to change the lives of many people.
For example, you posted something on facebook today about 45 Million in Unclaimed funds. Why not pick out 45 people who live in the State of California legally, who are in need of money to do things, such as help family, provide for their elderly, get a car to drive to work, feed their family, etc...and you change their lives by presenting them a check for $1,000,000.00.
Now, there would need to be some rules around this, and filming it would be a great thing to do, so here's my total proposal.
You would pay me to travel around in an SUV, go from city to city, meet people, see them, observe them for a few days, and out of the people that I run into, I could pick someone in that city, go to a local bank, draw a cashier's check for $1,000,000.00 and present it to them. They would have to be filmed, and allow the lottery to use their story in marketing, etc. Then we come back and see them 6 months to a year later to see how they're doing.
Of course there's logistics and such to be worked out, but this would be a huge win for many people, and many more would play the games out there because they'd know that others are being helped. It would also raise awareness to check tickets, but some might just let the money go out to the helping fund™ so it would help change lives. Karma can be a beautiful thing when shared in the right way.
Just a thought. There's much more to this, but I wanted to energetically get the push going, because I know that if someone gave me a check for $1,000,000.00 I could do many wonderful things with it, none of which include buying fancy cars or frivolous things with it, I'd be helping pay my Mother's Alzheimer's & Stroke bills for 5 years, I'd make sure I had a place to live and take care of my dog, and I'd be out visiting with people, and sharing my good fortune with those on the street who can use a break.
I did that with the $25,000 that I won from the lottery after taking care of some rent, as well as moving my Mom due to abuse from one facility to another, now she's in better hands, and I've been doing it every time I win something, I find someone who's downtrodden and looking like nothing is going their way, and I buy them lunch or something to eat and carry with them, I find out what their story is, why they are where they are, then I put something in their pocket to carry them further, and I say a prayer for them, wish them God Bless You On Your Path, and I let them be on their way.
My mission in this life is to change the world, to bring others together, to brighten lives and smiles, and to leave this world when my times in a better space than it was when I arrived here back in 1961.
Maybe @calottery can help me do that in a much larger way...
I sure hope so.