Large Jackpot Draws Locals to the Lottery

Winning a scratch off lottery ticket could put a smile on your face.

Mike Reynolds said winning “$2 didn’t make me feel so good,” but it keeps him playing.

When Shane Gannon wins he said “I feel like I gotta play again, maybe win some more.” And Barbara Sharrer is just tickled when she wins. “Even if it’s my $5 that i spent into it,”

All agree that hitting the big prize could change their lives. Mother Tucker’s owner, Jimmy Pitcock weighed in on people winning the lottery.

Just hitting it, it just gives them some extra money to play with, extra money to play with this or go do whatever they need to go do with their kids or whatever,” Pitcock said.

That’s something Pitcock says has happened at Mother Tucker’s in the past.

I’d say for the last couple years it’s been weekly, at least once a week we’ve sold at least a thousand or so,” Pitcock said. “There’s just been streaks of it.” This place does pay out a lot of winners.

While frequently selling big tickets, Pitcock said the biggest prize of them all has always eluded his store.

I think the biggest we’ve ever cashed in [with Powerball] is about 70 bucks,” Pitcock said. “There’s just such a discrepancy between hitting the big money and the little money, so everyone’s after the big money obviously.”

As the jackpot this week nears 500 million dollars, the question remains what would you do with all that money?

Reynolds said he’d “probably move to Florida, pay off all my bills and go where it’s warm.” Gannon said he’d give some to his kids but still head to work each day. Sharrer agrees more with Reynolds on this one. “Pay up some bills and go on vacation, buy me a house oh wow man, every woman’s dream.