LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ahead of the historic $1.337 billion dollar jackpot on Friday, many Americans flocked to purchase a lottery ticket with hopes to have a chance at the winnings.
Although the winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Illinois, a total of 81, 281 Arkansans won prizes that ranged anywhere from $2 dollars to $2 million.
Judy Dudley, a resident of Lake City, was feeling lucky after she claimed her $2 million dollar prize on Monday morning., and she has now become the 89th person in the country that has won more than $1 million from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery since it first began in 2009.
She bought the winning ticket at a Kum & Go station in Jonesboro and was one of six people in the United States to win $2 million in Friday night's drawing.
“On the way home we stopped at the Kum & Go to get my mom a Dr Pepper so I bought my Mega Millions ticket there,” Dudley said.
She mentioned that she typically buys the Powerball and Mega Millions tickets when the jackpot gets around $300 million. And eagerly waited on Friday night for the numbers to be announced, but instead searched on her cellphone after the numbers failed to air that evening.
“I was holding the phone in one hand and my ticket in the other. I saw that I had all the white balls, and thought, oh my gosh, I think I just won $2 million! My husband, Dave, had fallen asleep in the chair so I woke him up and then called my daughter who lives close by,” added Dudley.
Judy Dudley retired from Arkansas State University in May of last year, and her husband retired three years ago.
The couple plans to make the most of their retirement, take their family on a Hawaiian vacation next summer, and help out their daughter who is building a new house.
Dudley's daughter who lives nearby is due to have a baby later this month, and the new millionaire has big plans to babysit her new grandchild.
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