For Robert Gawlitza, the morning of Nov. 25 began just like any other.
He arrived for work at the Circle K he managed in north Phoenix, preparing for what he figured would be another in a series of routine days with the company. He’d worked for Circle K on and off since 2009, at locations all across the Valley and in Las Vegas. After a while in the employment of the gas station and convenience store giant, you’ve just about seen it all.
On the way in, one of his employees sent him a news report: A winning lottery ticket, worth $12.8 million, had been generated at this store. Huh, he thought to himself, that’s neat. In his 17 years with the company, his store had never sold a ticket that had won such a big jackpot. To play such a minor role in someone’s life-changing payday — a footnote to a footnote, given he wasn’t working when the ticket was printed — would make for a fun thing to mention in conversation…