For more than two months, Jackie Alston quietly celebrated her winning Powerball ticket, quitting her job at a state prison and then putting together a team of financial advisers.
The 38-year-old single mom was ready to take the party public — sort of — on Friday when she stepped forward to claim her $74.5 million prize.
Alston appeared briefly at a news conference to discuss her win and smile for the cameras before pulling away in a stretch Ford Excursion limousine.
She wouldn't say where she was headed or how she would spend the money. So far, she's enjoyed staying out of the limelight.
"I've just been living normal. People have been noticing me, but they don't really know, you know, so it's just been fun," she said.
Alston bought the ticket at a Shell gas station in Halifax County, about 15 miles from the Virginia border.
She looked at her Powerball numbers only after hearing news reports that the winning ticket was sold in Halifax County.
"I had to call my brother and have him check it two or three times," Alston said. "It was exciting. I mean it was just overwhelming."
Alston's ticket was the only one drawn in the multistate game to match all five numbers — 2, 8, 9, 12 and 19 — and the Powerball, 25, in the Nov. 29 drawing.
She said the numbers represented the ages of children in her family.
Alston had stashed the ticket in a safety-deposit box at the bank until Friday morning.
Under Powerball rules, she had until May 29 to pick up her winnings, or the prize money would have been redistributed to all participating states.
Alston decided to take her winnings in a lump sum, about $36 million before taxes.
Alston worked for 15 years as a corrections officer at Brunswick Correctional Center in Lawrenceville, Va., about an hour's drive away from Halifax, before quitting in December.
Reporters asked plenty of questions Friday, but Alston verified only that she's single and has children.
"Boy, are they going to be calling for you," one reporter told her.
"We're ready," she said with a laugh.
Lottery officials were nearly as excited, decorating their headquarters with colorful balloons and firing confetti into the air as Alston accepted a large ceremonial check.
"We hope it will interest a few more players in trying their luck," lottery director Tom Shaheen said of Alston's win.
About 30 states participate in Powerball, which was launched in North Carolina on May 30. Alston is the first Powerball jackpot winner in the state.
