Virginia Powerball Winner Claims $1 Million After Three-Month Wait
Tuesday November 15th 2016A Powerball player from Virginia is $1 million richer after collecting a Match 5 prize that had been unclaimed for over three months. Donald Shomaker successfully matched the numbers 11, 17, 40, 50 and 62 from the July 16 drawing to take home the seven-figure prize and join the prestigious millionaire’s club.
Shomaker, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, was one of four winners of the Powerball’s Match 5 prize, and the only victor from the state. “I really couldn’t believe it,” the lucky winner told Virginia Lottery officials. “I re-checked the numbers and re-checked them and re-checked them.” After assuring himself that the ticket in his possession was worth such a vast fortune, Shoemaker explained how he placed the valuable commodity in a plastic bag and stored it somewhere he was sure would be unaffected in the event of a fire.
The winner then waited more than three months to claim his reward, for reasons that still remain unclear to Virginia Lottery officials. While the huge windfall came as fantastic news to Shomaker, the lottery fan was just one number, the Powerball, away from winning a jackpot worth a sensational $335.5 million.
The ‘Easy Play’ ticket, purchased from the Leesburg branch of Gasmart at 14425 James Monroe Highway, didn’t just bring financial gain to its owner. The store also benefited from a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the fruitful playslip. The lottery organisation also helps fuel the growth of the state, with K-12 public schools receiving an average of over $1.6 million per day, and schools as a whole reaping a record $588 million in the fiscal year thanks to the sale of lottery products.
If you would like to celebrate a Powerball win of your own, tickets for this Wednesday’s draw, in which a jackpot estimated to be worth $293 million is waiting to be won, are available to buy from any authorised retailer in participating states and jurisdictions. Stay lucky!
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