Albuquerque resident Donna Barra won a $200,000 Powerball prize
that she split with the long-distance friend who introduced her to the game.
Barra began playing Powerball six months ago after learning more about the game
from her friend William Small of Memphis, Tenn. The two friends – and
attorneys – made a verbal agreement that they would each buy Powerball tickets
in their respective states and share any large prizes equally.
After the Dec. 5 drawing, Barra was a prizewinner. The numbers on her
ticket – 1, 8, 15, 21 and 55 – matched the numbers drawn for the $200,000 prize.
Barra didn’t hesitate to share the good news with her good friend.
“Bill’s the reason I bought the ticket,” she said, adding that it never occurred
to her to do anything but tell him.
The friends decided to wait until the first of the year to claim their prize.
In the meantime, Barra tucked the ticket inside the best-selling book “Who Moved
My Cheese?” – a hiding place she disclosed to Small. On Super Bowl
weekend, Barra flew to Memphis to watch the game with Small and have him sign
both the winning ticket and a claim form authorizing the New Mexico Lottery to
divide the prize between them.
Barra plans to make home improvements and investments with her half of the
prize. She also plans to keep playing Powerball and to again split any
prize with her friend.
“Now that we’ve won, I’m afraid not to play,” Barra said, explaining that she
would feel terrible if her favorite numbers were ever drawn for a jackpot prize
and she had forgotten to buy a ticket.
Barra always plays her own numbers – a combination of ages and birthdates –
while Small prefers to let the Tennessee Lottery’s system randomly pick his
numbers.
Barra’s winning ticket was purchased at Albertson’s No. 904 at 4950
Montgomery NE in Albuquerque. This lottery retailer has sold several other
large prize-winning tickets ranging between $22,000 and $100,000.
$340 Million Raised for Education
Since its inception in 1996, the lottery has raised $340 million for public
education in New Mexico and more than 48,000 students have received Legislative
Lottery Scholarships.
As of the Spring 2007 semester, more than 14,500 high school graduates
from Bernalillo County have received $74.4 million in Legislative Lottery
Scholarships.
Information on Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com..
