After Pinehurst resident Rose Anderson finished her supply of Diet Mountain Dew, she stopped at the store to get more, added a Powerball ticket, and won a $100,000 prize on Monday.
“I didn’t plan to stop there that day, but I remembered I was out of Diet Mountain Dew,” she laughed. “I guess I have my thirst to thank.”
Anderson bought her lucky $3 Quick Pick ticket from Quality Mart on Old U.S. 1 South in Southern Pines. She matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. Her prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier hit.
“I was speechless,” she said. “I just literally sat there looking at it for a while.”
Anderson said she chose to share the prize with her fiancé, Newton McCurdey Jr.
“I called him on the phone and said, ‘I think I won $100,000,’’ she recalled.
They arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to claim the prize. They each claimed $50,000 and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, both took home $35,625.
“I’m going to take care of some bills and then help some people that I know who need some help,” Anderson said.
North Carolinians have two chances to win big this weekend as Powerball and Mega Millions offer dueling jackpots. On Friday, Mega Millions features a $267 million jackpot, worth $122 million as a lump sum, and then, on Saturday, Powerball offers a $280 million jackpot, or $128.6 million as a lump sum.
Players can buy Powerball or Mega Millions 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 and the odds of winnings the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.
Login to leave a comment.