Spontaneous purchase delivers $50,000 win
A 19-year-old college student received the shock of her life last week. She realized a Powerball quick-pick ticket that was a spur-of-the-moment purchase would significantly impact her future. The Frederick County woman, who is spending her summer at the beach, is the latest to win the game’s $50,000 third-tier prize.
“I stopped for gas and a snack,” she responded when asked what caused her to be at the right place at the right time for her lucky win. Her destination on July 1 was Royal Farms #127 in Salisbury. “I play once in a while, and almost always Powerball,” the college student said. “I noticed the machine and bought a ticket.”
That ticket was for the July 1 drawing. It wasn’t until several days later that life brought her into another Lottery retailer.
“The Lottery sign reminded me about the Powerball ticket I’d bought, so I dug it out of my wallet and scanned it.” Confused at first by the message on the device, she quickly realized that she’d won. “I knew that I’d won enough that the store couldn’t pay me, but had no idea how much.”
A family member who was visiting erased all doubts by downloading the Lottery app and checking the $10 ticket. “I looked at it and thought, ‘Can this be right?’” the winner recalled. Even days later while at Lottery headquarters, the player said the win didn’t feel real. “I know this is happening but at the same time, it feels like a dream.”
The Powerball winner will allocate all of her $50,000 prize to her tuition fund. “This is such a welcome thing, this win. It helps so much.” Hats off to the Royal Farms store at 27992 Ocean Gateway for playing a vital part in this happy story.
Your next chance to win the elusive Powerball jackpot is Wednesday, July 12! Players can try to win the seventh largest jackpot in Powerball history and the tenth largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. The estimated jackpot annuity is $725 million and the estimated cash option is $366.2 million.
