HYATTSVILLE, MD – A Hyattsville resident, who casually participates in the Maryland Lottery, realized he had won $100,000 on the March 25 Powerball drawing but waited until August 4 to claim his third-tier prize because he found it hard to believe.
Back on March 25, the growing jackpot of $112 million caught the player’s attention. He shared, “I don’t play that often. When the number is big enough to notice when I’m driving by, I play.”
Opting for a single quick-pick ticket with the Power Play option, he stored it in his wallet and eventually forgot about it. The lucky ticket was purchased at 4 Way Stop Market at 5910 40th Avenue in Hyattsville.
In an unexpected turn of events, his wife discovered the ticket while going through his wallet and encouraged him to check it. He followed her advice, scanning the ticket at a nearby store. Upon receiving a message instructing him to take the ticket to Lottery headquarters, he remained somewhat uncertain about his win. After further research online, he concluded that his ticket indeed held significant value. Despite this realization, both he and his wife had a hard time believing it. He waited several more weeks before scheduling an appointment to claim his prize at Lottery headquarters, where the true magnitude of his win finally sank in.
“That’s a lot of money,” he reflected. “It’s not life-changing, but that’s a lot of money.”
While he has no grand plans for the prize, he intends to use it to address truck maintenance. Rather than tackling repairs in pieces, he plans to take his truck to a shop and fix everything at once. Afterward, he anticipates having a considerable portion of the prize left, which he intends to save for unforeseen circumstances.
Reflecting on the experience, he humorously remarked, “It will rain. Sometimes it makes the grass grow. Sometimes you just get wet.” When asked if he would continue playing lottery games, he replied, “Are you kidding? I already bought one!”