Maryland – The Powerball**jackpot was only at $40 million for the March 28 drawing but that didn’t stop jackpot chaser Terry Moats of Maryland from purchasing tickets. The 66-year-old Hagerstown man enjoys jackpot games and plays weekly, no matter what the jackpot size.
On the day his Maryland Lottery luck arrived, Terry bought a *Powerball *ticket at Martins #6275 in Hagerstown. He played special numbers, his birthday and his wife’s birthday and then went on his way. Terry placed his tickets in a special hiding place and didn’t check them until almost two weeks later.
“I sometimes leave them up there for a whole month,” said Terry. “But, when I finally checked them, I couldn’t believe what I saw.”
His special numbers matched – all but one – with the *Powerball *numbers drawn on March 28. The winning numbers were 6-8-26-52-53 and Powerball 21. Terry’s numbers were 2-6-8-52-53 and 21. Since he matched four white balls and the Powerball, he won the third-tier prize of $50,000. The Washington County man also matched three white balls on another line to win an additional $7!
“What’s funny is that I always play my wife’s birth date number, 8, for the Powerball number,” said the winner, smiling. “This time, I played my birth date number, 21, and won!”
The happy player was the only Marylander to win the $50,000 prize in the drawing and one of a dozen nationwide to do so.
“When he showed me the winning numbers, I just couldn’t believe it,” said his wife Patti, who accompanied him to Lottery headquarters to claim the prize. “I was at a friend’s house and he called me telling me how he matched five numbers and he knew it was worth something.”
Patti had rushed home so the two could conduct a thorough investigation to confirm the win. The parents of two grown children and five grandchildren decided not to share the news with anyone. Instead, they want people to be surprised when they find out.
Terry and Patti are both on disability and they hadn’t really discussed what to do with their good fortune other than catch up on bills.
Their lucky Lottery retailer also wins bragging rights to the third-tier win. The grocery is located at 1670 Wesel Boulevard in Hagerstown.