Lanham, MD – A Prince George’s County woman who matched five numbers in the December 10 Powerball drawing says she was so overcome with excitement after realizing she had won $1 million that her husband had to drive her to work the next morning.
The winner, identifying herself only as “Nina Anonymous,” claimed her prize Thursday at Maryland Lottery headquarters, still reeling from the life-changing news.
“I was shaking so bad,” she said, recalling the moment she double-checked her ticket against the winning numbers.
A $2 ticket turns into a million-dollar surprise
The longtime lottery player said she made a special trip to the 7-Eleven at 7730 Finns Lane in Lanham to buy a single $2 Powerball ticket after skipping her regular gym visit. When she compared her ticket to the posted results the next morning, she initially thought she had matched only two numbers before realizing she’d hit five — good for a $1 million second-tier prize.
She immediately told her husband, “No one won the jackpot, but we won $1 million!”
Plans for a fresh start
A finance professional, “Nina Anonymous” said her first priorities are paying off debts and buying a bigger home. “We’re going to pay off our cars and credit cards and get a bigger house,” she said.
She also plans to keep playing, noting she has several entries in the Maryland Lottery’s Holiday Raffle, which offers prizes up to $1 million in January.
The jackpot for the December 10 Powerball drawing exceeded $900 million, though no ticket matched all six numbers.
