But as she was finishing up her Thanksgiving shopping, she passed the lottery counter — and on impulse decided to buy a quick-pick ticket. Using a mix of favorite numbers and family birthdays (a set she plays regularly), she played one line and went home.
The next day, while having lunch, she decided to check the ticket using the official lottery app — and was stunned to see that her ticket had matched four of the five white balls and the red Powerball from the Nov. 19 drawing: a 3rd-tier win worth $50,000. She described the moment as “such a shock.”
Before that, the biggest amount she ever won was US $500 — so this six-figure (well, “upper five-figures”) win was far beyond her expectations.
She claimed her prize on Dec. 1 at the headquarters of Maryland Lottery in Baltimore, and said she plans to deposit the money — after applicable taxes — into savings.
The same Safeway store where the ticket was bought received a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.