Wilbur Cooper of Towson took home the only $50,000 Powerball prize in the May 14 drawing. |
Wilbur Cooper claims prize from May 14 drawing
Wilbur Cooper was enjoying a routine afternoon, hanging out at one of his favorite spots, when Lottery luck entered the retiree’s life. The basketball game was on at Everest Liquor & Bar in Baltimore and he decided to buy a Powerball quick-pick ticket for that night’s May 14 drawing.
A few hours later, the 64-year-old watched the drawing and went into complete shock as he saw his numbers pop up on the screen as the winning numbers. The retailer confirmed his $50,000 win and Wilbur rushed home to stash the ticket in a safe place until he could reach Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He shared the great news with his wife of 36 years and his daughter, who said she didn’t believe his win was real because he was so calm!
Wilbur was the only Marylander to match four balls and the Power Ball to win the $50,000 prize in the drawing. Nationally, there were two $1 million winners and a dozen $50,000 winners. No one hit the jackpot, which rolled to $60 million for the Wednesday, May 18 drawing with a cash option of $40 million.
The happy winner is strictly a Powerball player and plans to keep enjoying the game every now and then. He retired from the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Department after 15 years of service. What will he do with his prize? Pay bills and then decide what to do with the rest, he said!
Try your Powerball luck at his Lottery retailer. Everest Liquor & Bar is located at 541 South Marlyn Avenue in Baltimore.