A decade of consistency: loyalty finally rewarded

By Kate Northrop

DOVER, N.C. — A retired farmer from North Carolina said he's played in every Powerball lottery drawing for the last ten years, and his consistency came to a head when he finally won a $2 million prize.

Dietrich Kilpatrick's dedication to the lottery is unwavering, telling North Carolina Lottery officials that he's participated in every Powerball drawing for a decade.

And while it may not have been the jackpot, his persistence was rewarded with a $2 million prize.

"I've been buying Quick Picks in every drawing for like, 10 years," he said to the Lottery.

He purchased his game changing ticket at JD Gas & Grocery on N.C. 55 in Dover for the drawing on March 16, adding the Power Play feature to his play for an extra dollar. For a $3 ticket, $2 million was not a shabby outcome.

Since he matched all five white ball numbers — 7, 10, 20, 47, and 52 — to win the game's second-tier prize, he was guaranteed $1 million, but that Power Play add-on doubled it to $2 million since that night's drawn multiplier was 2.

"I was like, 'Wow, I've got them all,'" Kilpatrick recalled the penultimate moment.

His win was also the largest Powerball prize won across entire nation that evening. Had he matched the red Powerball number 20, he would have won the $89 million jackpot.

Kilpatrick visited Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday to claim his long-awaited prize and took home a grand total of $1,440,201 once federal and state taxes were deducted. After 42 years working as a farmer, the retiree said he plans on using his sought-after prize to complete some home repairs, and he'll additionally donate to his church.

The next Powerball annuity jackpot estimate for the drawing on Saturday, March 21 currently stands at $120 million.

Powerball is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.

Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega website provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States' two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Dietrich Kilpatrick's persistence was rewarded with a $2 million prize.