The Powerball buzz is heating up across Kentucky as Monday night’s jackpot climbs to a massive $1.6 billion, making it the fifth-largest Powerball prize ever. Even with odds of 1 in 292.2 million, hopeful players are lining up, dreaming big.
Kentucky Lottery leaders say the excitement goes far beyond chasing a jackpot. Lottery sales are making a real difference statewide. So far this fiscal year, ticket sales have reached a record $2.1 billion, creating $384 million for scholarships and grants that help Kentucky students pay for college.
Kentucky Lottery President and CEO Mary Harville says the impact keeps growing. Since 1999, the lottery has delivered more than $5.4 billion in education funding. That support reaches students through several programs, including:
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KEES scholarships
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Work Ready Kentucky programs
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Teacher scholarships
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National Guard education benefits
Harville also highlighted a new milestone worth celebrating. More than 1.1 million Kentuckians have now received scholarships or grants funded by lottery dollars, a number the lottery is proudly promoting through its “One in a Million” campaign.
For players like Jan Prather, the jackpot sparks plenty of imagination. She says winning would mean helping family, giving back to churches and charities, and maybe even enjoying a peaceful life in a cabin tucked away in the mountains.
Another Powerball drawing is set for December Twenty-Fourth, Christmas Eve. If no one claims the prize, the jackpot could climb even higher, pushing this already historic run into record-breaking territory once again.
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