ALBUQUERQUE – Patrick and Sharon Yazzie of Chinle, Ariz. claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from the New Mexico Lottery today.
The Yazzies’ quick-pick ticket matched the winning white ball numbers of 5, 14, 36, 54 and 58 from the game’s March 31 drawing. The winners missed the red Powerball of 27 for the night’s jackpot of $60 million.
They didn’t discover the $1 million prize until May 15 when Sharon Yazzie retrieved old tickets to check against winning numbers posted at the lottery’s website. The discovery brought tears to her eyes.
Above: pictured are Patrick and Sharon Yazzie, winners of $1 million Powerball prize
“I couldn’t see anything,” she recalled for lottery officials in Albuquerque. “I couldn’t believe it.”
“First there’s disbelief,” Patrick Yazzie added. “Then you start thinking about all the good things you can do for your family.”
The Yazzies waited another 10 days to claim their prize, telling only one other person about their good fortune.
“I just had to tell somebody,” Patrick Yazzie said. “So I called my sister and I said, ‘You’re talking to a millionaire.’”
The winners said they plan to use their prize to pay bills, build a home and make investments.
The Yazzies purchased their lucky ticket at Speedy’s No. 120 located in Black Hat, New Mexico west of Gallup. For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the store is eligible for a $2,500 New Mexico Lottery bonus.
This is the third $1 million Powerball prize won in New Mexico since the game re-launched in January. Previously, the prize for matching five white balls was $200,000.
Legislative Lottery College Scholarships
Since its inception in 1996, the lottery has raised $520 million for education and more than
75,300 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. Information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com. As of the Spring 2011 semester, more than 2,100 students from McKinley County have received $7.8 million in Legislative Lottery Scholarships.