NASHVILLE — Melissa Mills made sure to ask her husband if he was sitting down when she called him at work late on Wednesday to share the news that one of his Powerball tickets was a $100,000 winner.
Mills, of Bean Station, Tenn., couldn’t believe it herself. “It’s still sinking in,” she said today after she, her husband Rodney, and their three children collected their winnings at the Tennessee Lottery’s Nashville headquarters.
“I’m not sure when the shock will wear off,” said Melissa, 31.
Rodney Mills, a 38-year old machinist, purchased five Powerball tickets at C&S Market in Bean Station earlier this week. He chose the “Quick Pick” option, which means all of his numbers were generated by the Lottery’s computer system.
The Mills haven’t decided exactly what to do with their winnings, but hinted that there were “a few things they needed and a few bills that need to be paid,” while the rest might be put away for later. Both parents and children are also fans of the Tennessee Titans and said their trip to Nashville would include a visit to the team’s coliseum downtown.
Along with the Mills’ $100,000 ticket, there were 51,780 winners from Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing who purchased tickets from Tennessee Lottery retailers. The jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is estimated at $103 million.
As with all Tennessee Lottery games, profits from Powerball tickets sold in Tennessee remain in the state and go to fund education programs. Most immediately, the Lottery is charged with raising at least $88 million by July 1 in order to fund scholarships for an estimated 65,000 students expected to attend Tennessee colleges and universities in the fall.