The $1 million prize sold in Kentucky during last Wednesday’s record Powerball jackpot has been claimed.  Twenty-three year old Alex Parker of Prospect, KY presented his winning ticket to lottery officials earlier today.   

Alex told lottery officials he’d never played the lottery before getting a ticket from the Five Star Food Mart on US 42 in Prospect.   

Alex’s mom Radeana was already buying tickets for her pool at work when she brought three extra playslips home.  Alex, along with his mom and dad each filled out one with their own set of numbers.  He said he picked numbers that just popped into his head.  His mom suggested he mark his initials on the top of his playslip so that if he won they would know it was his. 

That evening after the drawing they checked their tickets, only looking to see if they matched the Powerball number.  It wasn’t until the next evening when Alex got home that he checked his entire ticket that he realized he’d matched the first five numbers to win $1 million. 

“I couldn’t believe it.  I was like, oh man, I won,” Alex said.

Radeana said that on her way home that night she noticed several news trucks in front of the Five Star where they had bought their tickets.  “I thought to myself that they were probably interviewing the winner,” she said.  She never imagined the winner being Alex.  

Alex had waited to come in to claim his Powerball ticket because he had been studying for the admissions test for law school which he took over the weekend.  He’s considering using some of his winnings to pay for graduate school.  

When asked if he would play the lottery again, he said he’d already picked up a ticket this morning.  “My dad told me, ‘When you’re hot, you’re hot’”.