A group of Metrobus drivers in Montgomery County who pooled together to buy tickets for last week’s record Powerball drawing claimed a $50,000 prize.
The 20 individuals, part of the group called “Montgomery Metro,” are co-workers from the Montgomery County Division of Metrobus, according to the Maryland Lottery. The group purchased 100 tickets at $2 each for a chance at winning the $1.6 billion jackpot. One of those tickets matched four of the five winning numbers, plus the Power Ball number for the $50,000 prize.
Two members of the group, including the organizer of the pool, claimed the winning ticket at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on Friday, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The women elected to remain anonymous, but did say the prize money (which totals $2,500 per person before taxes) will likely go toward paying off bills.
“This is an extra paycheck or two for some of us,” one of the bus drivers said, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The local prize was one of 24 $50,000 Powerball prizes awarded in Maryland for the drawing. The state also had three $1 million winners.
One of the three winners of the Powerball jackpot, a couple from Tennessee, has been named. The other two jackpot winning tickets were sold in California and Florida.
