'The Powerball 14' Co-Workers from Montgomery County Claim $50K Prize

Fourteen co-workers found that working together creates a strong bond and playing Powerball together presents a winning combination.

While chasing the game’s rising jackpot, the group of vehicle maintenance workers matched four of their numbers and the Power Ball to win a $50,000 prize in the June 29 drawing.

The workers perform fleet maintenance and repairs for government services contractor Centerra Group. They help keep Montgomery County police vehicles on the street and in good repair.

“It feels good to do work that helps the community,” Rene Chavez of Silver Spring, one of the newest employees to join the lucky Powerball pool, told Maryland Lottery officials.

The size of the pool changes over time, as new members like Rene join veterans like Randy Zollner of Monrovia, who has repaired vehicles for nearly 28 years. Their journey to a win began when pool leader Joe Zimmerman of Frederick began purchasing tickets at the 7-Eleven store at 5402 Randolph Road in Rockville three years ago.

Powerball’s roll to its current $333 million jackpot for the Saturday, July 16, drawing began May 11. On June 29, when the group did not win the drawing’s $257 million jackpot, they almost pitched the $70 worth of tickets they bought. Luckily, they discovered the $50,000 prize when they decided to check the tickets again for small prizes.

Shares of the prize money work out to just over $2,000 per pool member. The group’s responses for how they’ll spend their prizes varied. Plans included purchasing a new camper, heading to a burlesque show and donating to a player’s place of worship.

Patchara Chiochankitmun of Silver Spring said he already spent his portion of the prize on new patio furniture purchased after the July 4 holiday weekend.

The group says news of their win has spread in the shop and their pool is growing.

Photo courtesy of Maryland Lottery: Ten members of “The Powerball 14” celebrate with a photo! (Left to Right) Joe Zimmerman of Frederick; Pradeep Lama and Patchara Chiochankitmun, both of Silver Spring; Randy Zoellner of Monrovia; Johnny Mayes of Montgomery Village; Rene Chavez of Silver Spring; Marco Miranda of Rockville; Marvin Ramirez of Hyattsville; Yawo Aziabu of Gaithersburg and Kevin Catron of Knoxville.