As Greg Christiance was driving to work on Wednesday morning (July 30) from Lino Lakes, he stopped at Freedom Valu Center, 5995 Hodgson Road in Shoreview to purchase five Powerball tickets for that night’s drawing.
On Thursday morning, as part of his routine, Christiance called the Lottery’s Winning Numbers Hotline and wrote down the winning numbers. Christiance said he often matches one or two numbers, so he wasn’t surprised when the first two numbers on the second line of his ticket matched. “Then I saw the third number, the fourth number and then the fifth number — that was wild!” Christiance recalled. “I checked it two more times and then I gave it to her [his wife Barb].”
As he claimed the prize with his wife at Lottery headquarters on Thursday afternoon, the Christiance’s described their winning experience. Barb said that after her husband handed her the ticket and said they won $200,000, “I said, ‘No! Are you really, really, sure?’” Greg responded, “Yes! I’m really, really sure!” Barb turned on the computer and checked the winning numbers (3-25-45-51-55 and the Powerball of 13) again to confirm the $200,000 win.
Christiance looked at his wife and said, “Now we’ll win the big one [Powerball jackpot]. They say, ‘It can happen!’”
A Powerball prize worth $200,000 from the drawing on Feb. 13, 2008 (sold in Stearns County) has not yet been claimed. Players have one year from the date of the drawing to claim all prizes.
Powerball is the multi-state lotto game that offers players nine ways to win. Players select five numbers from 1 to 55 and a Powerball, from 1 to 42. The jackpot is won by matching all five numbers plus the Powerball. Approximate odds of winning a cash prize are 1 in 36.6 and approximately 1 in 146 million to win the jackpot.
For an extra $1 per Powerball play, players can purchase the Power Play option to multiply their prizes (except the jackpot) by two, three, four or five times. A Power Play wheel randomly draws the Power Play number before the winning Powerball numbers are drawn. A Match 5 winner ($200,000) who purchased the Power Play option could win up to $1 million!
