SHALLOTTE, North Carolina -- A 26-year-old mother of four who said she holds a winning Powerball ticket sold in North Carolina planned to spend her roughly $188 million prize on her children. Marie Holmes said she was not a frequent lottery player, but did buy tickets when she had extra money to spend. The Shallotte woman said she previously worked at McDonald's and Walmart, but quit her job to care for her children. One of her children has cerebral palsy.
"Everything is for them. All the struggles that I went through it was all for them," Holmes told WECT.com. "I just want them to understand that money doesn't change you. It can help you. They don't have to worry about that. They can go to college, on me. And they don't have to worry about nothing. I'm glad I can do that for them."
Holmes said she was in the process of looking for a new job when she won the lottery. In addition to setting up a college fund for her children and buying a home where they all can live, Holmes said she planned to give back to her church.
"First I'm going to pay my tithes because I wouldn't have any of it if it wasn't for God," she said. "I’m ready to embrace the change. I’m very grateful for what’s about to happen for my family.”
Holmes said she wished her grandmother was still alive so she could be a part of the family recent good fortune.
Three tickets matched all six numbers in Wednesday's $500 million Powerball lottery. In addition to the North Carolina ticket, one winning ticket was sold in Texas and one in Princeton, Texas.
