Frederick County school employees win $50K Powerball prize as part of holiday lottery pool
Middletown, MD – A group of 14 Frederick County Public Schools employees is celebrating a $50,000 Powerball win after pooling their money for the Christmas Eve drawing and landing five out of six winning numbers.
Calling themselves “Holiday Bonus,” the co-workers claimed the third-tier prize on Tuesday at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, where they arrived together — and jokingly brought friends they described as their “security team.” Though they missed the massive $1.817 billion jackpot won in Arkansas by a single ticket, their collective effort still paid off in a significant way.
Each group member had contributed $2 toward the ticket pool for the December 24 draw. The ticket was purchased from a vending machine at the Safeway on East Main Street in Middletown. The group’s designated buyer said a misstep at the machine caused her to restart the transaction — a twist that may have changed their luck.
The group usually goes with Quick Pick numbers, which are randomly generated. Had the error not occurred, different numbers might have been selected.
Members of the group said they were down from as many as 25 participants in past drawings, but those who stayed in for the Christmas Eve round are now splitting the prize. Several said they considered the win a fitting seasonal reward, as public school employees typically don’t receive year-end bonuses.
Though the windfall isn’t life-changing, members of “Holiday Bonus” said it will go toward covering holiday expenses — and they aren’t done playing. The group revealed they were planning to stop for more lottery tickets on their way back to Frederick and Washington counties.
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Key Points
- Fourteen Frederick County Public Schools employees won $50,000 in a Powerball pool
- The group hit five of six numbers in the Christmas Eve drawing
- Ticket was purchased at a Safeway in Middletown after an accidental restart on the vending machine