The Powerball jackpot was on the rise in July, and it caught the eye of a Prince George’s County woman. The lucky player, out grocery shopping, made stop at a local Lottery retailer and walked out with a $50,000 winning ticket.
The self-proclaimed “jackpot chaser” was headed to the Safeway in Greenbelt when she noticed that the Powerball jackpot had risen to $495 million for the drawing that night, July 15. So, she decided to pick up a couple tickets.
She headed to Greenway Liquors, located at 7533 Greenbelt Road, and bought two $4 quick pick Powerball tickets and then headed to grocery store to complete her shopping for the day. The Lanham resident didn’t check her tickets until days later and initially thought she won a smaller prize.
“I thought it was a little something because I matched three white balls and the Powerball,” she said. “But, when I looked again, I realized I matched four white balls, not three.”
Matching four white balls and the red Powerball means the lucky lady was holding a $50,000 winning Powerball ticket.
“I was so excited and nervous and wanted to be sure,” she explained. “So, I went to another Lottery retailer that I trust and they confirmed the win for me.”
The happy winner waited until her good friend was available to drive her to Lottery Headquarters on August 13 to take home the unexpected prize.
The winner said she’s going to treat her friend to dinner and will put the rest of the winnings into savings.
During that recent Powerball jackpot run, the jackpot grew to $1.04 billion before being hit in Illinois on August 12.
