Group of Minnesota women hit the jackpot with Powerball win

Published: 2003-10-30

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (CNS) -- Their collars may be blue, but they sure weren't. The winning Powerball ticket held by 16 women from Holdingford in central Minnesota could put them into Porsches rather than Fords. But many seemed to be counting their good blessing as a vehicle for doing good unto others first, then themselves. The women are 15 kitchen workers and one custodian, employed by the Holdingford School District, who dub themselves the "Happy Huskers" after the school's nickname, the Huskers. Fifteen of the 16 are Catholic. All happily hopped a chartered bus Oct. 27 to the Minnesota state lottery headquarters in Roseville to claim $95.45 million, a half-share of the Oct. 25 jackpot. A second winning ticket -- sold in Indiana to Regina Mandabach, 29, a single mother of two -- also matched the winning numbers 6, 17, 45, 47, 48 and the Powerball of 4. After taxes, each Minnesota woman will receive either about $2.1 million in a single payment or more than $4 million over 30 years, depending on which payment option she chooses.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .