Amidst all the talk of billion-dollar Powerball winners this month, Carrie Edwards' $150,000 win might not seem especially impressive. But for a number of charitable groups , there couldn't have been a better choice.
Carrie Edwards didn't hit the jackpot, but several charities feel like they did after her big lottery win
Courtesy: Powerball
Amidst all the talk of billion-dollar Powerball winners this month, Carrie Edwards' $150,000 win might not seem especially impressive. But for a number of charitable groups , there couldn't have been a better choice.
Edwards, a widow and grandmother who lives in Virginia, according to lottery officials, has decided to give away all of her winnings rather than spending them on something for herself. The money was split between a dementia research facility and groups that provide food access and support for military families.
Edwards had a ticket in hand for the Powerball drawing on Sept. 8., the week after two winners split the $1.79 billion prize. She managed to match four of the first five numbers along with the Powerball, said lottery officials. Because she had bought a $3 ticket instead of a $2 one, that increased her winnings from $50,000 to $150,000.
Once she saw she had won, she said, she knew what she wanted to do.
“I knew I needed to give it all away,” Edwards said. “God is blessing me, so I can bless others.”
Edwards said this was the first time she had purchased a lottery ticket online.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), Shalom Farms, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society will each receive $50,000. The AFTD charity is one that's especially meaningful for Edwards; her husband, a firefighter, passed away from FTD, a type of early-onset dementia.
“This cause is deeply personal,” said Carrie. “During World FTD Awareness Month, I wanted this gift to shine a light on the families who are fighting this disease and on the researchers working toward a cure. God is blessing me, so I can bless others through Him. After all, we are all just walking each other Home.”
Shalom Farms is a nonprofit farm and food justice organization working for an equitable food system in Richmond, VA. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides financial, educational, and emergency assistance to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.
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