Dreaming of millions: Local Powerball players hope to hit it big Wednesday

Pointing to the yellow school bus driving past the Parker's along Buckwalter Parkway on Wednesday, Taynia Muhammad-Leak was sure of the first thing she change if she hit the Powerball that night: her job.

"I'll stop driving that," she said with a laugh.

Muhammad-Leak joined her two coworkers with the bus company for their routine trip to Parker's on Wednesday for their daily lottery play, ready to purchase a Powerball ticket that could reach up to $600 million before the numbers are drawn late Wednesday night.

As of noon Wednesday, the lottery had reached $500 million, but late sales could push the jackpot even higher. Wednesday's drawing would be the largest winner since the $564.1 million hit in February 2015, according to the Associated Press.

If no one wins Wednesday, numbers will be drawn again Saturday -- likely giving lottery players a chance at a record Powerball prize. The largest Powerball jackpot was a $590.5 million prize won by a Florida woman in May 2013, according to the Associated Press.

Although the odds of winning -- one in 292.2 million -- make it an extreme longshot, the three women were all hopeful that Wednesday's drawing would be their shot. South Carolina was long overdue for a Powerball winner, they said. Why not them?

Muhammad-Leak's coworker Donna Burns said she had won "a little bit" playing other lottery games before, but had never had more than one number match on a Powerball ticket after years of playing.

If she won, Muhammad-Leak said she would buy her father a house and a car. But she wouldn't buy herself a home. Instead, she'd use the money to travel the world and stay in the best hotels.

Buying a house was a common refrain for the lottery players.

Sun City resident Barbara Clayton, who purchased her Powerball ticket around the same time as Muhammad-Leak and her coworkers, said she would buy a house and pay off all of her bills.

Much like Burns, Clayton said she had played the Powerball for years, starting back in her native Philadelphia, but had only won small amounts on scratch-offs before.

Parker's assistant manager Stephanie Housey said many of the customers who come in share what they'd buy if they won the lottery. Many also say they'd come back and give money to the employees, but so far there's been no scenario to see if the person would follow through.

Housey said Parker's has seen a steadily-increasing stream of lottery players coming in as the Powerball jackpot has grown, split between newcomers who've heard about the jackpot and regular lottery players like Clayton and Burns.

If Burns hit the jackpot, she would buy a house and travel, but she also said she'd spread around some of her winnings. She would give some money to less fortunate family and friends, and set up trust or scholarship funds for her grandchildren.

The third coworker said she also would buy a home and pay off debts, but she was apprehensive about providing her name.

After all, if she won, people would try and find her to ask for money, she said.

"I'd go home and sit down," she said. "I'm 62 and still out here hustling .... If I win, I don't want everyone coming to me."

Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Dreaming of millions: Local Powerball players hope to hit it big Wednesday."