Couple Wins First 2nd tier Powerball prize of 2015
A Baltimore County couple who became Maryland’s newest millionaires this week are stunned about their status even though their Powerball win came two weeks ago.
“We still can’t believe this,” said the wife. “Is all this really happening?”
Her husband, a forklift operator, told Maryland Lottery officials that he has a set of numbers that he uses, in one form or another, for all three of the Lottery’s jackpot games. “They’re family birthdays and anniversaries,” he said, “with Johnny Unitas’ number 19 thrown in.”
The 59-year-old bought his Powerball ticket at the Food Lion in Baltimore and checked the results early in the morning following the Jan. 10 drawing.
“I recognized the numbers immediately,” he said. “I didn’t have my glasses handy so, at first, I thought we’d won $100,000. That’s what I told my wife – she rolled over and went back to sleep. I don’t think she believed me.” After donning his glasses, our millionaire discovered that he’d missed a few zeros in the prize amount. “When I told her it was $1 million she shot right out of bed.”
The time that elapsed before they claimed their Powerball prize did allow the new millionaires to decide how to spend some of their newfound fortune. The wife, who is 59, was recently laid off from her job and said the prize will ease their financial future.
“My worries about finding a new full-time job have certainly lessened and my husband will likely be retiring a little earlier than we planned,” she said. They also hope to travel and visit friends in warm climates. “Our future was a little scary last month. Now we feel much better about it.”
Their lucky Lottery store was the Food Lion #1653 at 1565 Hyde Park Road in Baltimore. For selling the second-tier winning ticket, the grocery store receives a $2,500 retailer bonus from the Lottery.