Mt. Airy woman claims prize in Aug. 19 drawing
As the Powerball jackpot neared its peak this month, a federal worker from Mt. Airy experienced a winning dose of beginner’s luck. The occasional player purchased a $10 ticket at just the right time during the mounting jackpot frenzy to nab one of four $50,000 prizes in the Aug. 19 drawing.
The lucky woman, who only plays Powerball when the jackpot rises high enough, said she learned it had reached her play threshold from a close friend. That information, plus the example of her dedicated jackpot-chasing mother, was key factors in her tale of good fortune.
The 44-year-old purchased the lucky ticket while she and her mother shopped at Weis Markets #119 located at 1001 Twin Arch Road in Mt. Airy. She didn’t discover her win until they returned to the store to buy Powerball tickets for the Aug. 23 drawing. The pair checked the previous week’s tickets while the clerk completed their purchases and heard one of them trigger an odd sound. After some examination of the ticket, the clerk confirmed she won the third-tier prize!
The big win will boost her retirement fund, said the happy daughter.
“I plan to continue working and do everything normal,” she said. “I’ve been thinking and planning for retirement, so the winnings may become a bit of a fallback plan.”
The jackpot for tonight’s Powerball drawing (Aug. 30) is $53 million with a cash option of $33.7 million before taxes.