A North Carolina mother claims to have the winning ticket in $564 million Powerball jackpot. She is one of three winners who are said to have the winning ticket. Check out the video and photos in the gallery and read more on the story after the jump!
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Marie Holmes, 26, had to quit working in order to take care of her kids but in due time she will be able to provide for them even more. Holmes told a local television station that she won third of Wednesday’s $564 million Powerball jackpot, although she has not claimed her prize yet. A reporter from another news channel confirmed that the date and the numbers on her ticket matched the winning numbers that were drawn in the third-largest Powerball jackpot in history. The winning numbers in the drawing were: 11, 13, 25, 39, 54 and the Powerball 19. Before she won she was looking for a job after she was forced to quit jobs at Wal-Mart and McDonald’s to take care of her kids full time, especially since one of her children has special needs. One of Holmes’ children is suffering from cerebral palsy. She says, “I scared my kids…I was telling them, we don’t got to struggle anymore, and I was yelling when I did it…I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” She showed her winning ticket to a news reporter from a local television station and she is planning on speaking with advisers before claiming the money.
Holmes said she could not resist the jackpot so she decided to buy a Powerball ticket. She bought the winning ticket from her uncle. Her uncle works at a convenience store in their hometown. She wants to set up college funds for her children after she donates money to her church to thank God for giving her the winning ticket. She then plans on buying a house and car with the money. When speaking of her children she says, “This is all for them… All the struggle I ever went through, it’s all for them. Money doesn’t change it, but money’s going to help me.” She hasn’t thought of buying anything for herself. According to the N.C. Education Lottery, she can choose between earning $188 million over 30 years or taking a lump sum of $127 million before taxes.
Lottery officials have not yet identified the winners but said one of the winning tickets was sold at the Scotchman, where Holmes said she bought her ticket. The Scotchman is eligible for a $50,000 retailer incentive award. Alice Garland, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery, said that the winners have 180 days to collect “the big check.” The other winning tickets where sold in Texas and Puerto Rico, but the winners have not yet come forward to claim their prize.
Check out the photos in the gallery and the video below!
