 Members of “The Terrific Ten,” including a few who decided to hide behind the Powerball sign, celebrated their $150,000 Powerball win at Maryland Lottery headquarters. |
Group of Baltimore County co-workers played Powerball together for 15 years
A fun-loving group of 10 Baltimore County employees threw a celebration at Maryland Lottery headquarters on Jan. 13 as they arrived to claim their $150,000 prize in the Jan. 9 world-record Powerball jackpot drawing.
The happy co-workers from the Baltimore County Office of Permits, Approvals and Inspections have pooled their money to buy tickets for jackpot games for 15 years.
“We’ve had a few that have come and gone, but it’s mostly the same people,” said the leader of the group, which dubbed itself “The Terrific Ten.”
One of the group’s $2 tickets matched four numbers plus the red Power Ball, giving them a $50,000 prize in the drawing. That amount tripled to $150,000 because they paid an additional $1 to add the Power Play option to the ticket. After taxes, each member of the group will receive $9,937.50.
“When I first looked at the ticket, I saw three numbers,” said The Terrific Ten’s leader. “I had to get my glasses, and my daughter was asking me if we won, and I said, ‘I don’t know!’ ”
She figured it out not long after the 11 p.m. drawing on Jan. 9 and started making phone calls to the rest of the group.
“She called me at 12:30, and my phone was in the kitchen so I didn’t hear it,” said another member of the group. “In the morning, I looked at my phone and saw the missed call and I knew – that’s the Lottery. My adrenaline was pumping for about half an hour.”
It’s by far the largest amount The Terrific Ten has ever won. The group’s previous top prize was $150. Members of the group said they intend to use the money to pay bills and go on vacations. One Powerball player said he wanted to give money to his grandson and buy a new couch for his son, who recently moved into a new home.
The players hail from many different Maryland towns – Baldwin, Baltimore, Fallston, Finksburg, Kingsville, Reisterstown and Westminster. One player lives in Delaware.
The Terrific Ten’s winning ticket was one of three $150,000-winning tickets sold in Maryland for the Jan. 9 Powerball drawing. There were also seven Marylanders who won $50,000 and one who claimed a $1 million prize. Because no one hit the world-record jackpot, it rolled and climbed to $1.5 billion for the next drawing on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The group purchased its winning ticket at Cranberry Liquors located at 405 North Center Street in Westminster. And, the group already has tickets for the Wednesday, Jan. 13 drawing.
Powerball drawings take place Wednesday and Saturday nights and are broadcast on WBAL-TV in Baltimore.