North Carolina – Nancy Linn of Salisbury said she has a friend to thank for her $150,000 Powerball win.
“My friend was stopping to get a Powerball ticket after we played bridge and she convinced me to get one too,” Linn said. “She even suggested I get the $3 ticket.”
Linn took her friend’s advice and bought a $3 Power Play ticket in the Jan. 19 drawing. She matched four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000. Her $50,000 win tripled to $150,000 when the 3X multiplier was drawn.
“I was so ecstatic I couldn’t even believe it,” Linn said. “I’m still in shock.”
Linn, a 72-year-old retired first grade teacher and tennis coach, bought her Quick Pick ticket from the Han-Dee Hugo’s on Statesville Boulevard in Salisbury. She said the win is especially meaningful to her because of her background in teaching.
“As a former teacher, I really can appreciate how great the lottery is for education,” Linn said.
Linn claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $106,516. She said she wants to use some of her winnings to remodel a bathroom, but she also plans to give back to people in need as well.
“There are a lot of different organizations and people I know that could really use a pick-me-up,” Linn said.
The current Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is $91 million, or $63.5 million cash. The odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
Ticket sales from draw games like Powerball help make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million a year for education. For details on how $7.4 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Rowan County in 2020, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.