Powerball Fever Grips Michigan With Jackpot At $550M
ALLEN PARK (WWJ) - So you think you'd like to someday become President of the United States? At odds of 1 in 10 million, you have a much better chance of moving into the White House than winning Thursday night's Powerball jackpot.
With odds at 1 in 175 million, winning Wednesday night's $550 million lottery prize is less likely than dying in an asteroid apocalypse.
Powerball fever has swept much of the nation with long lines forming as folks try to land themselves that ultimate stocking stuffer. The jackpot could yield some lucky person a lump sum payment of $360.2 million before taxes.
In Southeast Michigan an area now just recovering from years of economic strife, we're not hearing as much about yachts or luxury homes from Powerball daydreamers.
"I'd probably get my car fixed and help some people out that I know need help," one metro Detroit woman told WWJ's Ron Dewey. "(I'd) help the family members that need help, open up a very large soup kitchen that would have all kinds of food for these people, buy clothes and everything else.
"I might go to Alaska, it's the only thing I ever wanted to do in my life, just to see. Other than that, I have no idea, I would be discombobulated," she said.
Another Powerball player told Dewey that he would donate money and food to help out people who have cancer because his wife is a cancer survivo, now in remission for 10 years.
Hani Yono, who runs the Southfield liquor store in Allen Park, said expects a run on Powerball tickets from regular customers buying twice the normal as well as the newbies.
"Some people come in, they don't even know how to play the lotto.," Yono said. "(They say) 'Can you help me?' or 'give me the easy pick.' Some people don't even know how to fill the form. (They've) never played before in their life."
But he's not complaining. "We see more traffic," Yono said. "People come to the store and they buy their pop and juice and chips. It does help."
Winning numbers drawn at 10:59 p.m. can be heard on WWJ Newsradio 950. Good luck!
