{"id":110945,"date":"2026-08-30T18:40:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T22:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=110945"},"modified":"2026-09-20T19:08:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T23:08:18","slug":"a-legacy-continues-hookers-millions-meeting-the-needs-of-area-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/08\/30\/a-legacy-continues-hookers-millions-meeting-the-needs-of-area-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"A legacy continues: Hooker\u2019s millions, meeting the needs of area youth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Wendy Post<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writer<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was St. Patrick\u2019s Day in 1999 when 56-year-old Floyd \u201cVic\u201d Hooker, a local man residing above his favorite restaurant and pub, Owego\u2019s Parkview, hit the lottery, winning $45 million that day. The news spread like wildfire through the town that someone had won a lottery jackpot; but none suspected it would be \u201cVic\u201d Hooker, whose life was simpler than most.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_110954\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110954\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110954\" src=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1913\" srcset=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-scaled.jpeg 2560w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-300x224.jpeg 300w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-1024x765.jpeg 1024w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-768x574.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-1536x1148.jpeg 1536w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184411\/FP-Wendy-story-p2-2048x1530.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-110954\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictured is the backside of Owego\u2019s Parkview Inn and Dugan House Restaurant, located centrally in downtown Owego, N.Y., and across from Draper Park on Front Street. Floyd \u201cVic\u201d Hooker resided in a second-floor hotel room, visible in this photo, when he hit a $45 million win. Hooker was a part-time janitor at the time. He continued to reside at the Parkview following his winnings, but moved to a larger room.<br \/>Photo\/Wendy\/Post<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It didn\u2019t take long, however, for the local residents to catch the news that Hooker, one of 11 children born to Albert and Myrtle \u201cStanton\u201d Hooker, with five brothers and five sisters, held the winning ticket.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hooker, at that time, said he bought the winning ticket at the Parkview after putting down $10 for 10 \u201cQuick Pick\u201d tickets and specifying that any winnings be paid out over 25 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Humble Beginnings<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was celebration-worthy, especially considering Hooker\u2019s humble stature and the fact that he won his fortune at Owego, New York\u2019s Irish pub, named Owego\u2019s Parkview Restaurant and Hotel at that time, where he also worked as a part-time janitor.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The building\u2019s story spans over 150 years and is known not only for its hauntings but also as a locale focused on the Irish\u2014especially St. Patrick\u2019s Day. Floyd &#8220;Vic&#8221; Hooker&#8217;s winnings put the pub further on the map.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hooker, at that time, resided in a room on the second floor that had a couple of windows and was located near a back stairwell that offered access to the outside and, even more easily, to his favorite pub. In fact, after his fall into fortune, he kept this humble life, although he did move to a larger room inside the hotel, and then resided in Endicott, N.Y. for a brief time prior to his death in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_110955\" style=\"width: 1868px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110955\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110955\" src=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1858\" height=\"2272\" srcset=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3.jpeg 1858w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3-245x300.jpeg 245w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3-837x1024.jpeg 837w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3-768x939.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3-1256x1536.jpeg 1256w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184426\/FP-Wendy-story-p3-1675x2048.jpeg 1675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1858px) 100vw, 1858px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-110955\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictured is the newly renovated room in which Floyd \u201cVic\u201d Hooker resided. Hooker, who won $45 million from New York\u2019s Lottery on St. Patrick\u2019s Day in 1999, remained at the hotel following his win. A foundation was established to carry out his charitable efforts.<br \/>Photo\/Wendy\/Post<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>The Estate<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hooker built up a racing arsenal as well, and soon had cars running on the tracks; most notably, with Chuck Hanbury behind the wheel, they were winning championships. Eventually, following his death, much of Hooker\u2019s gear, rigs, and more were sold; his estate was given to his family members, and 30% was designated to assist the children in Tioga County, New York, through the establishment of a foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFloyd helped many organizations prior to his death, and that will continue through the Hooker Foundation,\u201d the foundation wrote on its website, continuing, \u201cFloyd was a very private person and kept his giving to himself, but many organizations received help from him prior to his death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time of his winnings, Hooker was expected to immediately receive a check (before taxes)&nbsp; for $1,125,000. The annual payments would then continue to grow for 25 years, with a final payment of $2,295,000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is when the sole trustee of the Floyd Hooker Foundation stepped in. Mark Dixson\u2019s stepfather, Gerald Gowan, had lived next to Hooker for a period of time and told \u201cVic\u201d to \u201cgo see Mark.\u201d He knew that Hooker needed a will, and Dixson was already an established attorney in the area who could do the job. So they drafted a will.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dixson also recommended that a foundation or trust be built. For this, Hooker wanted to help the children in Tioga County, New York, and Dixson was assigned as Trustee, a task that would soon become much larger than he imagined, based on need, and one that he immediately acquired upon \u201cVic\u2019s\u201d death in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With assistance from Hooker\u2019s niece, who works for the USDA, a grant board was founded by 2009. Brenda Smith was appointed chairman of the board, with members Cyndi Hynes, Maureen Hawley, Stephen Jackson, and James Woloch all continuing to serve.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dixson said that when the foundation\u2019s board started, they wanted to be different.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe wanted to be proactive and seek out the needs,\u201d said Dixson, who added, \u201cWe also wanted to be reactive, so we designed an emergency fund as well; we\u2019ve developed relationships.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an example, funds were provided to replace outdoor equipment in both the Candor and Owego schools following the flooding in 2011, fulfilling an urgent need for youth in Tioga County.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_110956\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110956\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110956\" src=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-scaled.jpeg 2560w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-300x225.jpeg 300w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-768x576.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/20184442\/FP-Wendy-story-p4-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-110956\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictured is the pub at Owego\u2019s Parkview, located on Front Street in Owego, N.Y. In 1999, Floyd \u201cVic\u201d Hooker purchased the very ticket that made him a millionaire overnight. Coming from humble beginnings, Hooker continued to reside at the Parkview following his win.<br \/>Photo\/Wendy\/Post<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Changes at the helm<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, the fund has spent over $5 million, and it has $4.5 million in the bank, according to Dixson.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But as things change, so do foundations. In 2025 the foundation was transferred into a newly formed nonprofit, The Floyd Hooker Foundation, Inc., ensuring the fund\u2019s impact and longevity. The new board is charged with overall administration and oversight of the fund. Erica Lilly will serve as the new board\u2019s executive director.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also serving on the new board are George Bowen, Rhonda Pasto, LeeAnn Tinney, Eric Darcy, and Missy Jewell. Dixson will remain trustee, and the grant board will continue to review the proposals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recounting words from the late Ronald Dougherty, long-time Tioga County Legislator, Dixson stated, \u201cPart of the transition was to get someone in the soil, and get me out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, Erica Lilly will step in to guide the foundation locally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lilly, a Spencer, New York resident and S-VE Class of 1988 alum, has worn many hats thus far in her life, working at Tioga State Bank in Spencer, raising a family, and working as a parent and volunteer coordinator at the Spencer Van Etten School. Lilly has also worked with Lions Camp Badger and spent several years building her own home; from cutting trees to decorating, she raised her children and family in what she referred to as a \u201chiatus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast forward to 2020, and Lilly began working remotely from home. She also began working with Catholic Charities and the developmentally disabled population. Lilly also had an opportunity to head the Youth Empowerment Support Services (YESS) program at the Spencer Van Etten High School, a program that Lilly states proved to be \u201cvery rewarding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now serving officially in her new capacity as the Board\u2019s Executive Director, Lilly stated that she is very excited about things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI feel like this is an opportunity to expand my reach,\u201d said Lilly, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s big shoes to fill, but I\u2019m up for the challenge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vic\u2019s Closet<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the initiatives growing within the foundation is \u201cVic\u2019s Closet,\u201d a project that Dixson said was inspired by Hooker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a place where kids can go to get what they need to succeed,\u201d said Dixson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He spoke to several of his foundation board members about the project after visiting YOTO.org and learning about the impact of similar programs. Last year, the foundation bought their first pair of spikes and has even more dollars to purchase various items to fulfill the needs of youth and \u201clevel the playing field for them to succeed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To enable this, a Vic\u2019s Closet has been set up in all of the schools, as well as at the Candor Clothes Closet, with board member Missy Jewell coordinating the efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor so little money, we are changing kids\u2019 lives,\u201d said Dixson, adding, \u201cthese are things making an impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dixson emphasized Hooker\u2019s generosity and how his St. Patrick\u2019s Day winnings, his pot of gold, are still impacting the youth in Tioga County, New York, and he is confident that Lilly will be able to keep things moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShe\u2019s in the soil, and knows everyone,\u201d said Dixson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To learn more about The Floyd Hooker Foundation, Inc., and their open mini-grant cycle, visit https:\/\/hookerfoundation.org. You can also email to info@hookerfoundation.org for more information.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Wendy Post Writer It was St. Patrick\u2019s Day in 1999 when 56-year-old Floyd \u201cVic\u201d Hooker, a local man residing above his favorite restaurant and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":110953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A legacy continues: Hooker\u2019s millions, meeting the needs of area youth - Owego Pennysaver Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/08\/30\/a-legacy-continues-hookers-millions-meeting-the-needs-of-area-youth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A legacy continues: Hooker\u2019s millions, meeting the needs of area youth - 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