Iowa Lottery Winner’s $343 Million Ticket Was Almost Lost
While I think it's great that somebody in Iowa won one of the largest Powerball jackpots ever, I would be even greater if it was me.
Lerynne West of Redfield, Iowa came forward on Monday as the winner of the $343 million jackpot. She told the Iowa Lottery that a friend had texted her the day after the drawing to see if she had won it.
Like the rest of us, Lerynne was doubtful that she'd matched the numbers. When she went to check her ticket, she couldn't find it. She called her sister, who found the ticket on the floor of her pickup truck and sent a photo to Lerynne.
She checked her numbers, realized she'd won the jackpot, and told her sister to deliver it to her right away. "I told my sister to get in her truck and get that ticket and get up here right now!" she said. "And, drive slow."
The mother of three and grandmother of six took the lump-sum of the jackpot and will receive $198.1 million.
"I realize this is a life-changing moment," she said. "I'm excited to share my winnings with family and friends, plan to purchase a new car, and look forward to a long vacation – or several. I also plan to give to the causes and organizations important to my family through our newly established Callum Foundation."