WILKES-BARRE -- Millions of people across the country are hoping they'll be the lucky winner of Wednesday night's Powerball drawing. The estimated jackpot is a record $425 million. In Wilkes-Barre, people are buying tickets for a chance to hit it big.
It may look like your typical afternoon at Schiel's Family Market in Wilkes-Barre, but it's not. At this counter, employees are swamped, helping people who hope to fulfill their dream of becoming a Powerball winner.
"Just after Saturday, we started to get really busy. Now it's quadruple the amount of people we normally get for the Powerball because it's so high," said Caitlin Evans, an employee at Schiel's.
People across the country are making their way to stores to try to cash in on the record Powerball jackpot, an estimated $425 million.
Some shoppers, including Sharon Parri of Wilkes-Barre, play the Powerball regularly. She hopes this is the time she'll come out on top.
"Just about every week. I feel somebody has to win it. Maybe it would be me!" said Parri.
Then there's George Poplawski, also of Wilkes-Barre. He won a total of three dollars from the most recent Powerball drawing, and he's pretty sure his luck ends there.
""Where's the winner going to be? California?" said Poplawski.
"You don't think it's going to even be a winner in PA then?" Newswatch 16 asked.
"You never know. That's the idea of playing, but it's a lot of people playing," Poplawski told us.
Apparently I'm a lucky charm because a few people we came across say they bought their very first Powerball ticket because they saw us doing a story on it.
"What made you decide to buy a ticket here?" Newswatch 16 asked.
""You."
I didn't do it on purpose. Even though Candace Copiak says she'll need help filling out the ticket, she already knows what she would do with the money if she wins.
"I heard the amount of money it was, and it'd be nice for my 9-year-old to have a little cushion to fall back on when he gets older," said Copiak, of Wilkes-Barre.
So good luck to Candace and Sharon and George and all of you out there buying tickets. You have until Wednesday night to shell out a few bucks for a chance at millions.