(NEWS CENTER Maine) -- File this under the "another amazing Maine connection" folder. It's thanks to a Powerball winner in Iowa who wants to make sure the sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten.
A single mom in Iowa won nearly $344 million in a recent Powerball drawing.
"I know the responsibility that I have to do good with this money," said Lerynne West, who would later spell out her plans on national television.
And that is what caused one person's phone to ring off the hook, at the least convenient of times.
"I got on my plane, to fly back from Atlanta to Charolette, and when I was going guess what happened. My phone rang. It was Brandy. And I thought 'oh crap I can't my phone's supposed to be off,'" said Staff Sergeant Travis Mills in a Facebook video.
Mills survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
When the calls wouldn't stop he thought someone died.
"Nope! Someone didn't die. Let me tell you what happened," he said. "This lovely amazing lady in Iowa who won the Jackpot on the Powerball decided to go on Ellen today not telling any of us and donated $500,000 for the Travis Mills Foundation."
Half a million dollars from someone Mills himself has never met. But they share the same passion: to help wounded veterans.
"We are so thrilled to have another supporter on our team."
The Travis Mills Foundation has a national retreat facility in Rome, Maine.
An official statement from the foundation Thursday reads in part,"her gift will be a catalyst for new projects as the Travis Mills Foundation continues to grow our mission."
Senator Angus King taking to Twitter to share the "phenomenal news" writing about Mills: "he's the real deal."
And NEWS CENTER Maine's Bill Green couldn't resist a celebratory tweet either.