Group of teachers win big in Powerball in Ohio — with help from ‘guardian angel’

A group of Ohio teachers won a big Powerball prize after years of playing together.

But something else made their win “even sweeter.”

The group of teachers from Crestview Elementary School in Ashland will split a $1 million prize after their ticket matched all five white balls in the Aug. 6 Powerball drawing.

After one of the members of their pool died from cancer six years ago, the group has chipped in money to continue paying for her share.

Now, she’s considered their “guardian angel,” one of the teachers said.

“She taught kindergarten here for years, and she was a good friend of mine,” the teacher, who went only by Karen, told Ohio Lottery officials. “She was in the original group so we couldn’t leave her out. We just couldn’t. We’ve just been paying all that time and for her too, so that makes it even sweeter.”

With a ticket purchased at a Circle K in Seville, the group matched the white ball numbers of 15-27-43-45-53, just missing the Powerball of 9.

Karen, who organizes the pool, was drinking her coffee and talking on the phone with her daughter when she realized she was holding a ticket worth $1 million.

“I started texting everyone and everyone was like, ‘No way, no way,’” she said. “And so they checked the numbers themselves, and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we did win!’”

Their plans for their winnings include investing, paying bills and taking vacations.

And they won’t leave their fallen teacher left out. The group plans to give her portion of $72,000 to her children.

With an estimated jackpot of $451 million during the Aug. 6 drawing, the Powerball jackpot has ballooned in the past month. Powerball officials said Sept. 4 the estimated jackpot for the Sept. 6 drawing is $1.70 billion — the third-largest in U.S. lottery history.

Ashland is about a 75-mile drive southwest from Cleveland.

This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Group of teachers win big in Powerball in Ohio — with help from ‘guardian angel’."