Chicopee mom calls Powerball win a “pipe dream”

August 24, 2017 4:06 pm

53-year-old Mavis Wanczyk from Chicopee was smiling from ear to ear as she talked about the reality of her mega $758 million Powerball win sinking in.

"Last night it was kind of like I didn’t realize I won, today as I’m driving here I’m like this isn’t true this can’t be and now it’s like I am a winner and I’m scared but I’ll be ok,” said Wanczyk.

The mother of two bought her ticket at a local Pride Station. She says the winning numbers are an assortment she hand selected.

"My numbers were kind of basically random with our birthday’s maybe one from here and one from there just whatever could work,” said Wanczyk.

The hospital worker says she found out she won big while leaving work with a Chicopee firefighter.

"He’s reading these numbers and I pull mine out and I go, hey I have that one, I have that, I have that. He goes let me see that ticket and he goes you just won,” said Wanczyk.

Wanczyk didn’t offer up many specifics about what’s next for her, but she did get quite the laugh after telling the crowd she won’t be returning to her job at Mercy Medical Center.

"I’ve called them and told them I will not be coming back,” said Wanczyk.

This is the largest grand prize won by a single lottery ticket in U.S. history. Wanczyk will take a lump sum payment of $480 million, meaning after taxes she’s looking at $336 million.