News writer
A Georgia Lottery player gets an exciting chance to start his New Year as a millionaire. Atlanta resident Tracy Lacobie-Goeddel is among the five finalists who are competing for a $1 million grand prize in the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year promotion.
This is the promotion's fourth consecutive year. The special drawing will be aired during the broadcast of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024 on Sunday, December 31, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
The number one New Year's Eve special on television
Along with the other four finalists, Tracy has won a VIP trip for two to New York City. There, he and his guest will be welcoming the New Year and keeping their fingers crossed to win the $1 million drawing that will be held just after midnight on January 1.
In an interview with All On Georgia, Tracy said:
Holy cow, this is a big deal. I've been watching this show since I was a kid, and I'm going to be on it. I'm very excited just to get a trip to New York, but the one in five chance is the greatest chance I've ever had of winning anything like this.
The 55-year-old has been a barber for the past 37 years. If he claims the prize, he plans to buy a wheelchair-accessible van for his brother, pay off his mortgage, and donate some money to charity.
Powerball First Millionaire of the Year
The other lucky finalists include Lora-Lee Casady from Idaho, Pamela Bradshaw from North Carolina, Maire Kelly Joyce from New York, and Finton Wallace from Rhode Island. Lottery players get a chance to enter the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year by participating in second-chance drawings and contests throughout the year. A preliminary drawing was held in November to randomly select the five contenders from a national pool of entrants. The $1 million prize will be awarded live on television shortly after the ball drop in Times Square.
Lotteries that participated in the 2023 Powerball First Millionaire of the Year promotion included Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
Last year's winner was Gary Krigbaum from North Carolina. The prize was accepted on his behalf by his daughter, Sarah Day.
The 2021 Powerball First Millionaire of the Year winner was Carlos Mabry from the District of Columbia.
The 2020 Powerball First Millionaire of the Year winner was Blaine Marston from Maine.
About the Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery was launched in 1992. Proceeds from the lottery are used to fund educational programs throughout the state. These include undergraduate scholarships and grants to technical colleges and universities and the Georgia Prekindergarten Program for all 4-year-olds.
For the past 30 years, more than 2.1 million students have been able to attend college through Georgia's HOPE scholarship program. More than 2 million four-year-olds have attended Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. To date, the Georgia Lottery has contributed more than $1.8 to public schools throughout the state.
