WESTMINSTER — Some lucky person in the metro area is holding a winning Powerball lottery ticket worth $20 million.
Lottery officials announced early today that someone who bought a ticket in the Westminster area has the first-ever Powerball jackpot from a Colorado vendor. The winning numbers were 12, 16, 31, 33, 54, and the Powerball was 5.
The cash value of the jackpot is $9.4 million.
The winning ticket was purchased earlier this week at the Safeway store at 8543 Church Ranch Blvd. The purchaser picked his or her own numbers. Lottery officials presented Safeway spokesperson Kris Staaf and store manager Sandra Satar with a check for $50,000.
“Gosh, it doesn’t get much better than this,” she said. She said the store will donate all of the money to a charity and also would throw a party for store employees.
“We’re so excited to have $50,000 to give back to the community,” she said.
Lottery officials advise the winner to sign the back of the ticket immediately to establish ownership. Tickets are bearer instruments, so anyone who signs the ticket may have legal claim to the jackpot.
Before last night, the biggest Powerball prize won in Colorado was $1 million. Two Coloradans have hit lottery jackpots, one in 1992 for $27 million and one in 2000 for $21 million. Last night’s winner is the first Powerball jackpot to be sold in the state.
“We’ve been waiting a long time, just like the Rockies,” Powerball spokeswoman Peggy Gordon said. “Finally, it’s our turn.”
Each store that sells lottery tickets receives a commission of 6 cents per ticket sold and bonuses for selling the winning ticket, Gordon said, but store employees said they were just excited and curious to meet the winner.
“One of our checkers almost started crying when the word came in,” said manager Lorene Martinez. “We’re all so happy that probably one of our regular customers won.”
Still, Martinez said, the store has been swamped with customers wanting to check their numbers on stacks of old ticket stubs.
More that 14,195 tickets sold in Colorado won a cash prize in the drawing, according to a statement from Colorado Powerball.
The second-highest prize was $10,000 in the drawing, the release said.
The winner may wait days or even weeks to come forward, Gordon said. “Many winners like to talk to a lawyer or financial adviser before claiming their prize,” she said.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
