Joseph Garza from Portland knows the person who is responsible for his $100,000 Powerball win - his father.
“When I won, the first thing I did was call my mom and say that my dad was sending us a miracle,” Garza said of his father who passed away last August. “Part of the prize is going to go to for a donation to the church where we held his service. It was beautiful and they did a great job.”
Garza won using the numbers he has played for the past three years, a combination of his old baseball jersey and birthdays of family members. He won after purchasing a $9 Powerball ticket with the Power Play option for the Jan. 4 drawing. The jackpot for that drawing was $237 million.
Garza matched four of five numbers one of which being the Powerball number, meaning he was one number away from the jackpot prize. Luckily, Garza spent the extra $1 per drawing to get the Power Play option. When players add Power Play, prizes other than the jackpot can be multiplied up to 10 times. In this case, the Power Play number was 2, thus doubling his prize from $50,000, to $100,000.
“I always play with the Power Play,” he said. “I figured if I got lucky, then it would really pay off! It did, I won another $50,000 because of it!”
Garza purchased his winning ticket from the Plaid Pantry on SW Broadway in Portland and joins other Oregon Lottery winners who have won more than $38 billion in prizes since 1985.
The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 are advised to contact the Lottery office and schedule an appointment to claim their prize.
Source: Oregon Lottery