Luck Strikes Twice for Eastern KY Family; Father and Daughter Win Lottery Three Months a Part

An Eastern Kentucky family appears to have luck on their side when it comes to winning the lottery.

William Fannin of Hazard, along with his wife Frieda, drove to Kentucky Lottery headquarters last week to claim a Powerball ticket worth $50,000.

A Powerball ticket William purchased at Zip Zone on East Main Street in Hazard for the May 13^th drawing matched four white ball numbers and the Powerball to win the game’s $50,000 prize.

William shared with lottery officials he plays Powerball every week and for 25 years he would go to the same store to buy his tickets but this time he stopped at Zip Zone.

William isn’t the only one in his family to win the lottery.

The Fannins’ visit to lottery headquarters comes just three months after their daughter, Starla, made the trip to cash a $150,438.47 lottery prize.  She won playing the Merry Money Bonus Jackpot Instant Play game online in February.

Starla heard there was a $50,000 Powerball ticket sold at the Zip Zone in Hazard.

“She texted her mom about it but said, ‘it wasn’t sold where dad normally buys his tickets so it can’t be him,’” William told officials.

The next morning, William took the ticket to a store to have it scanned.

“It came up $50,000,” he said. “I was numb.”

William left the store and went home to share the news with Frieda.

“I told her, ‘Sit down.’”  “Are you okay, what’s wrong,” she asked.  “That winning ticket was ours, it belonged to us,” he replied.

“And then we cried, both of us,” Frieda said.

The Perry County couple walked away with a check for $36,000 after taxes on May 17.

William said Starla was disappointed she couldn’t accompany them on the trip due to business back home.

“She was probably more tickled than me,” William said about Starla’s reaction to his Powerball win.  “She was so excited!”

William worked as a teacher for 33 years and coached basketball for a local high school.  He said he and his wife didn’t have plans for the winnings but that the extra money will come in handy since retiring four years ago.

Zip Zone will receive $500 for selling the winning ticket.

SOURCE: Kentucky Lottery.