CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the second consecutive year, a North Carolinian celebrated New Year's Eve as America's newest millionaire.
Moments after the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in the new year, Pamela Bradshaw of Clinton had a new reason to celebrate. She'd just won $1 million through a Powerball promotion on New Year's Eve. She won a second-chance drawing that included a trip to New York City with a chance to be among five Powerball players in the running for a $1 million prize during "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
"I'm so blessed," Bradshaw said. "I'm so blessed."
North Carolina was among 22 state lotteries that participated in the second-chance promotion and it's the second year in a row that someone from the Tar Heel State collected the grand prize. For Bradshaw, it was her first time on a plane and her first trip to New York City.
"I cried on the plane ride and I cried at the Statue of Liberty," she said. "It's just been so incredible."
Bradshaw, who made the trip with her daughter, has sensible plans for her Powerball prize. She told the North Carolina Education Lottery she plans to purchase her own home.
"Not anything fancy or big, just a little cottage or something with one or two bedrooms," she said.
Monday night's Powerball drawing could be a life-changing moment for a lucky lottery player. A whopping $810 million jackpot is up for grabs with an estimated annuity of $408.9 million if a winner opts for a cash payout. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
Playing the lottery is a form of gambling. If you are concerned about your gambling or worried about a friend, you can call the NC Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-718-5543. You can also contact the National Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.