Geraldine Williams, a retired woman from Lowell, burst into tears after lottery officials handed her a check for $294 million at Massachusetts Lottery headquarters in Braintree.
Retired cleaning woman wins $294m lottery jackpot
Geraldine Williams, a retired woman from Lowell, Massachusetts, who spent most of her working life picking up after others, has won the second-largest undivided lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Williams burst into tears after lottery officials handed her a ceremonial oversize check for $294 million at Massachusetts Lottery headquarters in Braintree, according to Washington Times.
Williams, who was introduced at a news conference at state lottery headquarters, said she'll take the payout in a lump sum of $117.6 million after taxes.
Williams, 68, recalled starring at a television as it showed the winning numbers, clutching her winning ticket and muttering, "Oh, God! Oh, God! Let it be! Let it be!"
She said she was still stunned by her luck, a week after the numbers were drawn.
"I"m in disbelief," she said. "I can"t believe it"s me," according to USA Today quoted her as saying.
"I don't know what it is to have money," Williams said. "I hope I don't change."
The divorced mother of three and grandmother of eight said she planned to spend the money on her family, golf lessons and travel. She also plans to donate to charity.
The youngest of nine from a coal-mining town in southwestern Pennsylvania, Williams has spent 15 years as a custodian at the University of Massachusetts. A former U.S. Marine, she has been making ends meet as a maid since taking a buyout a couple of years ago.
A neighbour of Williams, Paula Peacock, 39, called her "a bundle of energy."
"She really will be able to enjoy this. I'm so happy for her. It's unbelievable, it's very surreal," Peacock said.
The $294 million is the highest Mega Millions prize in the game's history, exceeding a $239 million jackpot in February. Williams winning numbers were 10-25-38-39-50 with a Mega Ball 12.
The largest single ticket lottery jackpot winner ever in North America was Jack Whitaker of Scott Depot, W.Va., who won a Powerball jackpot of $314.9 million on Christmas Day 2002.
