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New Jersey Family Claims $429.6 Million Powerball Fortune
Monday May 16th 2016A family of eight from Trenton, New Jersey has come forward to claim a $429.6 million Powerball jackpot. The Smith family, comprised of a mother and her seven children, successfully matched all five numbers and the Powerball on Saturday, May 7th to collect the sixth-largest prize in the game’s history.
The winning ticket was purchased by Pearlie Smith, the mother of the family, at a 7-Eleven in New Jersey’s capital of Trenton. Pearlie’s daughter Valerie Arthur, who was speaking on behalf of her family at a press conference at New Jersey Lottery Headquarters, told of how the news came as a surprise: "It was a big shock! It was a bigger shock when we learned we were the only ticket holder." She also revealed that the family received a little extra help when choosing their numbers, claiming that the winning digits came “through a dream” thanks to what they describe as “divine intervention,” as Pearlie opted to player her own numbers instead of using a Quick Pick.
The family, who have chosen to take their winnings in the form of a cash lump sum of $284 million, decided to wait a number of days before coming forward to collect their winnings because they wanted to make sure the money would be handled wisely. They claimed that their family lawyer was consulted, along with other advisors, on how best to deal with such a large influx of money before they went public.
Known collectively as “The Smith Family Lottery Pool”, all members of the syndicate hope that they can use their newfound fortune to achieve good things in the local community, with Valerie’s sister Katherine Nunnally hoping to put her share of the jackpot towards helping her run a mentoring program for young women, saying that “it has been a struggle to get funding. Now she has her own funding. She can go and change lives on her own accord," Valerie explained. "It was like an affirmation from God because we each have dreams we want to fulfill in our life.”
The family are adamant that this massive windfall will not have a detrimental effect on their lives: "If it does change me I think it will change me for the better," claimed Valerie. "I know you receive and you give. That is the rule." The family also gave hope to the other Powerball players in the state, voicing their opinion that “anything can happen in New Jersey.”
If you’d like to be in with a chance of fulfilling your dreams and perhaps give something back to your local community like the Smiths, Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is estimated to be worth an impressive $60 million. Powerball tickets can be purchased online or from any authorised retailer in participating states. Best of luck and keep those fingers crossed!
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