The jackpot for tonight’s Mega Millions drawing has just been increased to an estimated $980 million, according to the Virginia Lottery.
There has been no jackpot winner since a Virginian in Northumberland County won $348 million on June 27.
You may remember the Burgess resident with the winning ticket telling lottery officials of plans to use the winnings to buy a zero-radius riding lawn mower.
I kinda love that, you know, a humble winner with no plans for any kind of grandiose life or grand ballroom or 14-karat gold everything.
I bet that winner still pumps their own gas and shops for their own groceries.
I mean, others might choose the high life: a yacht, private jet, high-end car, sports franchise or even a private island. Well, probably best to stay away from that last one, for obvious reasons.
One can hope the winner is someone more like a Melinda Gates than a Donald Trump.
After taxes, the winnings could most certainly fund a homeless shelter, provide life-changing support to a local food bank or go toward other initiatives aimed at poverty and equality or whatever cause means the most to you.
My husband and I are leaving our small fortune (joking of course), to causes like mental health, animal welfare and supports for youth and LGBTQ+ populations in our community (not joking here – it’s in writing). My husband grew up poor, and we struggled as a family being raised by a single mom, so you know, it kind of feels like we already won the lottery in our big house with six spoiled dogs.
I’m so sick of all the materialism in society today, especially wrapped up during the holidays. I’m probably not alone there.
But, I digress, let me get back to Mega Millions, you know, because if you win, it’s your money to spend however you wish.
ICYMI
Before the June 27 Virginia jackpot win, other Mega Millions’ jackpots awarded this year were:
- Ohio: $112 million on April 18
- Illinois: $349 million on March 25
- Arizona: $112 million on January 17
No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Tuesday night – – the white balls 10, 13, 40, 42 and 46, plus the gold Mega Ball 1. The original jackpot was estimated at $965 million.
In the Nov. 11 drawing, there were 809,030 winning tickets for total nationwide winnings of more than $27.9 million.
Mega Millions is the only lottery game that has produced seven jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion each. If the jackpot is awarded tonight, it will be the eighth largest jackpot in the game’s history.
Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Tickets are $5 each and include a randomly assigned multiplier, multiplying the base prize levels by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X.
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Crystal Graham
