Residents: Mega Millions Lottery an 'Opportunity,' 'Miracle'

Near the intersection of Deliverance Way and Blessings Boulevard on the campus of Greater Bethlehem Temple, Toccarra Myers welcomes customers to T&T Auto Detailing.

She and her husband, Tavon Myers, are residents of Baltimore and members of the Milford Mill church, where they operate their outdoor business five days a week.

Some proceeds go to the church, she said.

Myers said she has a lot to be thankful for—especially for a small business that has been operating for five years.

And, for the Milford Mill community, she's thankful that a business nearby—just a mile south on Liberty Road—on Friday sold a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket.

"I think it's a great opportunity, especially if the person who won the winning ticket does something for the community—whether it's something for the kids, or the churches—something that's going to benefit the community," she said.

On Saturday morning, the The Maryland Lottery announced that a winning ticket to the largest payout in lottery history had been sold in Baltimore County.

Specifically, it had been sold at the 7-Eleven at 8014 Liberty Rd. in Milford Mill.

Historically, 7-Eleven customers are from within a half-mile of the store, a company official said.

So it's possible that the lottery winner might decide to help their own community in some way.

Audrey Dial, who lives on Windsor Mill Road, was among the , who came out to 7-Eleven on Saturday.

Some stopped by to see if the winner would show up to have their ticket validated. But that hadn't happened, at least not by 5 p.m. Some others bought lottery tickets.

Dial said that, no matter who won, everyone who watched or anticipated the drawing Friday was a winner.

"I think this is the greatest thing," she said. "I think everyone yesterday was a millionaire."

It was a "positive moment" during a difficult economic time when Milford Mill residents have been walking more to save on gas costs.

The lottery drawing was a time to dream, to think about possiblities and to think of what is important, she said.

"In Bible times, God parted the Red Sea," she said. "But these days miracles are smaller (such as), having your health, being able to have Easter together, having our parents and grandparents living."

As for the lottery payout: "This is the old kind of miracle: The Big One," she said.

Michele Hart of Randallstown stopped at the 7-Eleven Saturday afternoon.

Hart said if she had won, she'd be far away from Randallstown.

And her daughter and daughter's friend, Hart said, who are both fifth-grade students at Randallstown Elementary School, said they would literally "buy their own college."

"That means we wouldn't have to pay for their education," Hart said.