$50,000 Powerball prize will change lives 8,000 miles away
The quiet, shy, but happy warehouse employee from Frederick who claimed a $50,000 Powerball prize on Dec. 11 has definite plans for his winnings. Surrounded by family and friends, all of whom were overjoyed for his encounter with Lottery luck, he shared that he intends to quickly send the money abroad – to a place close to his heart, and to family members he has not seen in years.
The 41-year-old dedicated Lottery player picked his own numbers for the Dec. 2 Powerball drawing. When he checked his ticket the next day he was surprised when the message on the scanner at his local retailer said “Cash at Lottery.”
“I figured that it meant that I had won, but I had no idea of how much,” he said.
With the help of friends and the Lottery’s website, he soon realized the magnitude of his win. One of the five lines on his Powerball ticket matched four of the white balls and the Powerball – delivering a $50,000 prize. He was the only $50,000 winner in Maryland for the Dec. 2 drawing, and one of 10 overall.
“I jumped up and down a few times,” he said. “None of us could believe it. There were lots of pats on the back and high-fives.”
While he’s had little sleep in the nights since his Powerball win, friends say he’s had a constant smile on his face.
“All he talks about is being able to help his parents back in Burma,” said one of the winner’s friends, who accompanied him to Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. “This money will literally change their lives.”
The 8,000-mile trip that the $50,000 prize will soon be making to Burma started at the Exxon station at 5870 Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick, where our winner purchased his Powerball ticket.
Powerball drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday night at 11:22 p.m. and are broadcast live on WBAL-TV. Tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.