UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND – A lucky Prince George’s County man just won a $1,000,000 Powerball prize, thanks to a tattered fleece jacket that needed emergency cleaning.
The lucky saga begins with the 51-year-old picking up his son from school. His son was carrying a jacket when he got in the car, but, as they pulled away, they saw the jacket was caught in the door and dragging on the ground. Even though the dad quickly stopped the car, they saw the jacket was badly stained.
The duo made their next stop the closest dry cleaners, which is in a shopping center at 56 Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro. While at the shopping center, the Upper Marlboro man remembered that the Powerball jackpot was climbing and he wanted to buy a ticket. The lucky player visited Watkins Park Liquors in the center and purchased one $2 quick-pick Powerball ticket for the Sept. 22 drawing.
The $1 million winning ticket sat on his counter at home for a week before he checked it on his phone. “I stumbled backward, I had to sit down and hold my head,” recalled the happy winner. Still in disbelief, he showed the ticket to his wife and daughter but they, too, could not believe what they were seeing.
When asked of his plans for his winnings, the happy dad said he intends to put money aside for his children’s college fund, pay bills, help some family members and enjoy a vacation. He’s worked as a firefighter for more than 30 years. However, even with that work record and a $1 million prize, our dedicated winner said he has no plan to retire early.
For its role in the big win, Watkins Park Liquors will receive a $2,500 bonus from the Lottery.