MoCo woman scores $50,000 Powerball win while $1.1 billion jackpot grabs national attention

​A woman from Burtonsville in Montgomery County got a happy surprise after winning $50,000 in Powerball, while the main jackpot across the country has climbed to a huge $1.1 billion.

The winning ticket was for the Dec. 8 Powerball drawing. While no one won the full jackpot that night, this local player still walked away with a big prize.

A simple thought turned into a win

The lady mentioned that she got the inspiration to play Powerball during dinner one night. She requested her husband to get her a Powerball ticket.

His final decision was to spend $20 worth of Powerball quick picks, of which she received 10 sets of random numbers.

To that point, it was just an ordinary transaction without any particular intentions.

​Where the ticket was bought

The ticket was bought on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Columbia Road Exxon in Fairland. It was for the Monday night drawing on Dec. 8.

Out of all 10 number lines on the ticket, the very last line turned out to be the lucky one. It matched four white balls and the red Powerball, which earns a $50,000 prize.

​Checking the Numbers the Next Day

The woman checked her ticket the next day, on Dec. 9, and quickly noticed something unusual. When she matched the numbers, she realized she had won more than she expected.

She immediately called her husband, who was at work at the time.

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“Sit Down Before I Tell You”

Before sharing the news, she warned him first.

She told him, “You need to sit down for this.”

Not knowing what was coming, he sat in his truck, thinking it might be bad news. Instead, he was shocked and relieved to hear they had won $50,000.

Both were surprised and happy by the win.

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What the family plans to do with the money

The couple already has simple plans for the prize money.

They want to use part of it to take a family vacation with their grandchildren. The rest will go into savings, helping them feel more secure.

Powerball excitement continues

While this Montgomery County woman celebrates her win, Powerball excitement continues across the country. The jackpot has now reached $1.1 billion, with a cash option of about $503 million.

Although winning the jackpot is rare, stories like this show that even smaller Powerball prizes can still bring joy and make a real difference in everyday life.