North Carolina Powerball winner comes forward
RALEIGH -- A 26-year-old mother of four - one of whom has cerebral palsy - has come forward as the buyer of North Carolina's winning Powerball ticket.
"I was screaming in the house. Telling my kids, we made it, and they ran away talking about, "I scared them." I don't have to worry about depending on nobody, I can do it all by myself. I can go back to school and make an even better life for my kids," Marie Holmes told WWAY-TV.
Click here to watch the interview
Holmes' ticket is one of three sold nationwide that matched all the numbers for the $564 million jackpot. The other winners are in Texas and Puerto Rico.
Holmes planned to travel to Raleigh Friday to collect her $188 million share of the money.
There's a smaller prize to be claimed in Raleigh as well. A million-dollar ticket was sold at the Quality Mart on Beryl Road. There was a lot of buzz at that store Thursday. Many people were upset they didn't buy their tickets at the location.
"I work down the street. I wish I would have come here after work, but I didn't," said Powerball player Andre Burwell.
"[I'm] kicking myself now," said Powerball player Barbara Lockhart.
Quality Mart employees told ABC11 they knew something had happened early Thursday morning. Lottery officials came into the store around 6 a.m. to check he machine that prints out Powerball tickets.
"That is cool," said customer Andrew Edge. "Just never see it in Raleigh."
Holmes told WWAY she's talking to a financial advisor and getting her affairs in order as she collects her winnings.
