Retired NC firefighter won a Powerball jackpot, all thanks to his girlfriend
.jpg "Kerry Ritchie of Salisbury won $100,000 after matching numbers on all four white balls, plus the red Powerball, last week. He’s a retired Concord firefighter.")
If it wasn’t for a retired Concord firefighter’s girlfriend, he might never have collected his big jackpot.
Kerry Ritchie of Salisbury won a $100,000 prize by matching numbers on all four white balls, plus the red Powerball, in the Oct. 30 drawing to win him $50,000. His prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier was drawn.
“My girlfriend just sat there and giggled!” Ritchie told the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Ritche’s girlfriend is why he went to go check the $3 Power Play ticket he had inside his truck for two days. She had heard about a winning Powerball ticket being sold at the Bostian Heights Grocery on N.C.152 East in China Grove, and told Ritchie about it.
The former firefighter of 30 years claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday. After taxes, he took home $70,751. The odds of winning the $50,000 prize was 1 in 913,129.
Ritchie said he plans on making some improvements to the home that he and his girlfriend recently purchased.
Saturday’s Powerball jackpot stands at $146 million. A winner would have the choice of the $146 million as an annuity or $104.2 million in cash. Since Aug. 23, Powerball drawings are held three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 10:56 AM.
