Wherever you are in the world, it’s unlikely you haven’t heard of the government shutdown in the US and for those government workers affected, they are currently furloughed without pay.
For one federal employee though, there’s plenty to celebrate this week, even with two weeks without pay as him and his wife have been lucky enough to win a $100,000 prize from the Virginia Lottery on Friday.
Carrie Walls and her husband from Ashburn in Virginia could hardly believe their luck when they were picked from 554,000 entries to win a $100,000 cash prize and a Ford Expedition truck in a Virginia Lottery promotion. Carrie said she cried when they won and as the couple are caught up in the current government shut down, with no end in site they have never been so grateful for a cash windfall.
The Air Force veteran has been caught up in two weeks of shutdowns now with no pay in sight for her husband and no end to the crisis. It’s a worrying time for everyone caught up and one can only hope it’s resolved soon.
Carrie and her husband now plan to enjoy the cash and take their family to Disney World as a treat. They haven’t yet decided what they will do with the rest of the cash, but as with all US lottery prizes it will be taxable and they will have to hand back a portion of their win in taxes.
It’s always great to hear about lucky lottery winners, but to hear of someone wining during such a worrying time is fantastic. We hope the Walls’ family enjoy their win.