When a Boeing employee saw the Powerball jackpot was going to reach an estimated $747 million, she saw that as a work-related sign to buy a ticket. And it paid off... big time.
Becky Bell has worked for Boeing for 36 years as the company’s supply chain analyst. A few days before buying the winning Powerball ticket at her local supermarket, the company received a shipment of a 747 jumbo jet and Bell took that as sign to buy a second lottery ticket.
“That’s when it hit me…I had to buy one more ticket,” Bell told the lottery
That second ticket ended up winning her $754,550,826 in the Feb. 6 drawing.
“After my meeting, I scanned my first ticket and it wasn’t a winner. Then I scanned the second ticket and it said ‘Winning ticket. Claim at Lottery Office.’ So, I knew I had won at least $600, which was pretty exciting,” said Bell, the statement said.
Bell was in disbelief since she had never won more than $20 despite her regularly buying $20 worth of lottery tickets per week. She had family members double check the numbers before she believed it.
“The funny thing was my mom misheard me when I told her how much I won,” said Bell. “She said ‘Seven million…that’s great, honey. Everyone can have a million.’ Then I had to say, ‘No, mom, seven HUNDRED million dollars. Pretty soon, everyone was crying.”
Bell was generous enough to help those around her pay off their debts and mortgages with her winnings.
“I will be sure to keep on sharing the love through giving and being happy while I give and share this money that the Universe has sent me and which I have attracted through being grateful every single day for more than enough of everything that I have and ever wanted,” said Bell.
In the spirit of giving, Fred Meyer, a supermarket where the ticket was sold, announced that the bonus of $50,000 they would receive for selling the ticket would be donated to the Auburn Food Bank, said the Powerball statement.
With the donation, the food bank would be able to provide 66,000 meals to the community, said the statement.
The store’s corporate owner, Kroger, also decided to give $10,000 to the store so the employees could celebrate the win.
Source: Inside Edition