Suffolk woman claims $100,000 prize from Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle

Published 7:06 pm Wednesday, January 17, 2024

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Stacy Byrd was one of the last people to get in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. The Suffolk woman had never bought a ticket for the annual raffle, and she decided that this year she would give it a try.

So she bought a ticket, #005593, at the Food Lion at 1524 Holland Road in Suffolk. It was just in time because fewer than 90 minutes later, Raffle sales ended as the last available ticket was sold.

When the winning ticket numbers were announced on New Year’s Day, her ticket ended up being a $100,000 winner.

“I started shaking!” she told Virginia Lottery officials. “I told my friend, and she said, ‘You’re lying! You’re lying!’”

Byrd’s ticket was one of seven to win $100,000. The others were bought in Henrico, Lynchburg, Manassas, Poquoson, Virginia Beach and Yorktown.

Five tickets each won $1 million. They were bought in Arlington, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Manassas and Stafford. An additional 1,000 tickets each won $500.

Byrd, who works in retail, said she expects to use her winnings to pay bills and maybe buy a new car.

Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. According to lottery officials, Suffolk, received more than $10.3 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery raised more than $867 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.