MASSACHUSETTS – Mavis Wanczyk of Chicopee is the lucky Powerball winner, according to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission.
Wanczyk, 53, a 32-year employee of Mercy Medical Center, is a mother of two adult children. She received her giant-sized replica check Thursday morning at lottery headquarters during a press conference with State Treasurer Deb Goldberg.
Michael Sweeney, the Executive Director of the Lottery, took the fall for the mistake reported early on by the lottery commission, naming a different store, Handy Variety in Watertown as the vendor that sold the $758.7 million ticket. That store sold a million-dollar ticket. Lottery officials said it was a transcription error.
“Human error, plain and simple,” Sweeney said. “If anyone’s looking for anyone to blame, the buck stops here with me, the executive director.”
It’s a detail that matters most to the store owners – traditionally the store that sells a winning ticket gets a handsome cut of the cash. In this case, the lone winning ticket iwas sold at the Pride gas station and store on Montgomery Street in Chicopee, and the store will get $50,000 for selling the winning ticket, which was purchased at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Pride owner Bob Bolduc. He will be donating the money to charity, which is his “usual” practice, he said.
A third store, Sandy’s Variety, at 378 Washington St. in Dorchester, also sold a $1 million winning ticket.
No immediate word yet on whether Wanczyk is taking the lump sum or full amount portioned out over time, but according to this interview on Heavy.com, Wanczyk says she’s done with work, and will use her winnings to realize her dream of early retirement.
Good for you, Mavis!
