NASHVILLE – Like many people across Tennessee, Matthew and Carolyn Hemby of McMinnville watched closely as the Powerball jackpot numbers were drawn on Saturday, May 8. Matthew, an employee of Federal Mogul, said he and his wife play the Lottery games regularly and on this occasion they were hoping to win the $212 million jackpot.
Matthew said the family “jumped up and down laughing” when they realized they had won $100,000 and that they knew instantly what they planned to do with their winnings: “Build a new home for our family.”
The Hembys have four children who range in age from nine years old to eight months old, and include a set of twins, still in diapers. The family of six was forced to move in with relatives when their home was destroyed by storms last year. With their winnings, the Hemby family plans to build a new home on the lot where the previous home once stood.
The couple said “our [eldest] son is already excited about getting his own room, and has put in a request for a new video game, too.”
The Hembys purchased their winning Powerball ticket at the Hillis Market in McMinnville. They selected three of the numbers themselves, and allowed the computer to select the other three numbers. In addition to the Hemby’s winning ticket, there were 94,775 additional winners who purchased tickets from Tennessee retailers, including 10 $5,000 winners. There was one winner in the state of Pennsylvania for Saturday night’s drawing of the $213.2 million grand prize.
The Powerball jackpot for the next drawing on Wednesday, May 12, is estimated at $10 million. Powerball drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:59 p.m. CST (10:59 p.m. EST). Watch for drawings at 10 p.m. CST (11 p.m. EST) on official Tennessee Lottery television stations throughout Tennessee.
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.