An Illinois Lottery player credited a chance encounter with his grandma at a store with lending him the luck to win a $1 million Powerball prize. File Photo by the Illinois Lottery
Dec. 1 (UPI) — An Illinois Lottery player credited a chance encounter with his grandma at a store with lending him the luck to win a $1 million Powerball prize.
The player, who gave himself the nickname “Grandma is My Lucky Charm,” told Illinois Lottery officials his luck started with a stop at the Road Ranger on East Hwy 38 in Rochelle.
“The $240 million jackpot drawing was that night, but I work late, so I took a quick lunch break to grab a ticket and try my luck,” the player recalled. “When I arrived at the store, I saw a car that looked just like my grandma’s. And guess what? It was her car and she was right by the cash register, checking out.”
The player said encountering his grandma was his first lucky break of the day — but not his last.
“She ran over and gave me a hug,” he said.
The man then purchased a Powerball ticket for the Oct. 11 drawing. He matched all five numbers, 13-16-18-20-27, earning a $1 million prize. He also won $4 on another line of his ticket.
“I instantly called my grandma, and her first response was, ‘Are you sure you won?'” the winner recalled. “I checked the numbers manually online, and everything matched — except the Powerball.”
The winner said he has plans for some of his winnings.
“I’m definitely sharing some of this with my grandma. She’s my good luck charm,” he said. “And I’m going to buy a brand-new car, too.”