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The self-named “31 Flavors” office pool of U.S. Postal Service employees |
Group pooled cash to purchase winning second-tier Maryland ticket
When the Aug. 7 Powerball drawing rolled around with a jackpot of more than $425 million, a group of 31 U.S. Postal Service workers joined forces to buy tickets. Little did they know the decision to band together would earn them the title of Maryland’s latest $1 million second-tier Powerball winners!
Three members of the office pool, self-named the “31 Flavors,” walked into Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on Monday, Aug. 12, visibly shaken. They came as representatives of the office pool. After a long wait holding the $1 million winning ticket, they were happy to have it in safe hands.
“This past week has been draining!” said one of the winners to Lottery officials. “With all of the calls, texts and everyone celebrating at work, it’s a lot to take in.”
Another member added, “We told the ticket holder that he wasn’t allowed to leave his house all weekend! This has just been crazy.”
The member of the group who purchased the tickets said everything started when he heard on the radio that the jackpot had climbed to more than $400 million. “I went into work and told my co-worker we had to start a pool. We originally had 18 people signed up but when I came back the next day, 31 people had chipped in for tickets.”
The evening of the drawing, calls and texts spread like wildfire as the ticket holders realized that one of their tickets was a big winner. “When I got into work the next day, it was just nuts. Everyone was congratulating each other. People who are usually quiet were talking,” one of the “31 Flavors” said.
After splitting the $1 million, and after taxes, the lucky players will each receive about $21,000. Members of the “31 Flavors” group are planning to spend the money on everything from kitchen upgrades to new cars and vacations.
The group bought $198 worth of Powerball tickets at the Dunkirk Fastop located at 9880 Southern Maryland Blvd. in Dunkirk. By the time the drawing occurred, the jackpot reached $448 million. The lucky Calvert County retailer receives a $2,500 Lottery commission for selling the ticket. This marks the eighth second-tier $1 million Powerball winning ticket sold in Maryland this year.
The $448 million jackpot was split among three tickets, with one ticket bought in Minnesota and two bought in New Jersey. While no one in the state hit the jackpot, more than 103,000 Maryland Powerball players won prizes between $4 and $1 million. Dunkirk also had a $10,000 winning ticket sold at the Town Center Amoco at 10855 Town Center Blvd.