Aurora woman named a finalist for ‘Powerball First Millionaire of the Year’ award

A lottery player from Aurora could ring in the New Year $1 million richer after being selected as one of the finalists in the “Powerball® First Millionaire of the Year” drawing, according to a news release from the Illinois Lottery.

The winner is going to be drawn live on air, just after midnight on New Years Eve, as part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022.″

Linda Perkins from Aurora is one of five finalists who were randomly selected, in a preliminary drawing, from a national pool of lottery players from across 29 U.S. lotteries, the release stated.

“I learned that I won from an email in the middle of my workday so I was really shocked,” Perkins stated in the email. “I can’t believe it, I’m still having a hard time believing this – I’m in total shock.”

In addition to the chance to win $1 million from Powerball, Perkins, along with the other finalists, has already won a $10,000 cash prize and an at-home New Year’s Eve party package, including a 70-inch TV, a karaoke system, a laptop computer, a deluxe dinner for eight and $500 to spend at Party City, the release stated.

According to the release, Perkins and the other finalists will be watching the New Year’s Eve broadcast from the comfort of their own homes, using the party package they won, to see if their name gets called just after the stroke of midnight.

“I normally try my best every year to stay awake past midnight, at least until the countdown, but I always seem to fall asleep about five minutes before. This year, I think I’ll be wide awake,” she stated in the release.

The four other finalists are: Aaron Rose from Slaughter, Louisiana; Robert Long from Waterloo, Iowa; Brian Mineweaser from Honey Brook, Penn.; and Shari Beenken from Titonka, Iowa.