The Powerball jackpot continues to grow as it now stands at $500 million for Saturday’s drawing.

The jackpot increased by over $35 million after nobody won the big prize in Wednesday’s drawing. A winner on Saturday night could claim the jackpot as a $500 million annuity or $242.4 million in cash.

The $500 million jackpot represents the third time this year that the Powerball jackpot has reached at least half a billion dollars.

Check out how North Carolinians win when they play Powerball:

• 19,831: The total number of winning tickets in Wednesday’s drawing
• $9.6 million: The estimated amount raised for education on the current Powerball run

Powerball has gone 21 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. The Powerball jackpot was last hit in the July 19 drawing when a ticket in California won the $1.08 billion prize.

Players can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

Ticket sales from draw games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.