'Are you OK?': Central Iowa Woman Stunned by $100,000 Powerball® Win
Opal Evans Claims Large Prize in Nov. 12 Drawing
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CLIVE, Iowa — A central Iowa woman said she had to brace herself against the store counter when she learned the Powerball® ticket she'd brought in to check was worth $100,000.
"He says, 'Do you know what you won?'" Opal Evans of Altoona recalled on Monday as she claimed her prize at the lottery's main office in Clive. "I said no. And he says, '$100,000!' I grabbed the counter and he said, 'Are you OK?' It shook me up, I'll tell you. It was very exciting."
Evans' ticket matched four of five white balls and the Powerball in the Nov. 12 drawing, and was one number away from winning that night's $515.7 million jackpot. Her initial $50,000 prize was doubled because he added the $1 Power Play® option to his ticket, which multiplies non-jackpot prize amounts by up to 10 times.
Evans, 83, purchased her winning easy-pick ticket at the Hy-Vee at 108 Eighth St. SW in Altoona, and returned to the same store after the drawing to check it during a quick milk run.
The winning numbers in the Nov. 12 drawing were 29-39-43-51-65 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number was 2. No one won the jackpot that night, which now stands at an estimated $593 million for Wednesday's drawing.
Evans said she and her husband, John, plan to donate some of their winnings to their church, set some aside for traveling, invest some, and share with their two children and nine grandchildren.
Since getting its start in April 1992 in 15 states with jackpots that started at a guaranteed $2 million, Powerball has grown into one of the world's biggest and most recognizable lottery games. Today, Powerball is played by 48 lotteries across the country with drawings at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
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