Mom-of-four, 26, who won Powerball reveals what she plans to spend the $188m on... including donating millions to her church 

  • Marie Holmes, 26, of Shallotte, NC won $188million after buying lotto ticket
  • She plans to tithe to her church from earnings which is by definition giving ten per cent of income; she would donate $18million
  • Ms Holmes plans to set up college funds for children, one of whom has cerebral palsy
  • She bought ticket, which is not yet verified, from her uncle 
  • Winning tickets also sold in Princeton, Texas and Ponce, Puerto Rico  
  • Cash payout reached $337.8 million for the drawing on Wednesday
  • Odds of winning the Powerball are one in 175 million  
By MYRIAH TOWNER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 16:59 EST, 14 February 2015 | UPDATED: 18:07 EST, 14 February 2015
A mother-of-four who won a third of a historic lottery jackpot said the first thing she is going to do with the money is pay her tithe - which is traditionally giving ten per cent of one's income to church.
Marie Holmes, 26, from Shallotte, North Carolina, came forward on Wednesday saying she had one of three winning tickets for the $564.1 million Powerball prize, the fifth largest ever in America.
With her $188million earnings, she would give $18million in tithe to her church. 
She also has plans to set up college funds for her children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, and purchase a new home. 
Scroll down for video 
Life changed forever: Marie Holmes, 26, from Shallotte, said that her four children will never have to struggle after she won $188million from the Powerball jackpot
+11
Life changed forever: Marie Holmes, 26, from Shallotte, said that her four children will never have to struggle after she won $188million from the Powerball jackpot
Golden ticket: Ms Holmes's fourth set of numbers purchased, 11-13-25-39-54-19, was the winning combination
+11
Golden ticket: Ms Holmes's fourth set of numbers purchased, 11-13-25-39-54-19, was the winning combination
+11
Lucky winner: Ms Holmes said that she scared her children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, when she began screaming that they 'didn't have to struggle anymore'.
Ms Holmes said: 'First I'm going to pay my tithes because I wouldn't have none of it if it wasn't for God.'
She also said that her children will not have to worry about debt and that the money is all for them.
'They can go to college, all on me. And they don't have to worry about nothing,' said Ms Holmes.
After she realized she had a winning ticket, she said that she scared her kids after she found out she had won because she began screaming that they 'didn't have to struggle anymore'.
Ms Holmes used to work at McDonald's and Walmart before quitting to take care of her children.
Though the winning ticket has not yet been confirmed, the unemployed mother said that she was heading to Raleigh, North Carolina, to speak with lawyers and financial advisers, according to WECT.
She will then claim the $188million prize for her ticket, which has not yet been verified by lottery authorities. 
Bright futures: Ms Holmes said she was happy that she was going to be able to bless her children with luxuries she didn't have
+11
Bright futures: Ms Holmes said she was happy that she was going to be able to bless her children with luxuries she didn't have
Decisions we'd all like to have: Ms Holmes will meet with financial advisers in Raleigh before claiming her winnings and deciding whether to take her money as a lump sum or over time
+11
Decisions we'd all like to have: Ms Holmes will meet with financial advisers in Raleigh before claiming her winnings and deciding whether to take her money as a lump sum or over time
Lovin' it: The lucky lottery winner used to work at Walmart and McDonald's before she quit to take care of her kids. Above, a McDonald's on Main Street in Shallotte
+11
Lovin' it: The lucky lottery winner used to work at Walmart and McDonald's before she quit to take care of her kids. Above, a McDonald's on Main Street in Shallotte
A spokesman for the North Carolina Education Lottery told the Daily Mail Online that no winning ticket had been presented for the most recent Powerball drawing.
The organization generally tells winners to take their time and get advice before coming in and claiming their money. The ticket holders have 180 days to do so.

HOW WILL SHE GET HER MONEY? 

The Powerball offers two different ways of receiving money for jackpot winners such as Marie Holmes.
She will receive financial advice about her options, which include taking a lump sum of $127million or spreading the money out over 30 years.
Many lucky ticket holders choose to receive the money in annual payments, which gradually increase over time. 
Should she choose a lump sum, Ms Holmes's $127million would be subject to 25 per cent federal tax and 5.75 North Carolina state tax. 
The total amount the mother of four would receive would receive into her account would decrease to around $90million if she took that route. 
Ms Holmes, who only buys lottery tickets 'when she can', said she was thankful that she could bless her kids with something she didn't have.
The mother said that she bought her winning ticket after seeing how large the jackpot had gotten in the recent weeks.
'I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw the ticket and checked it' she said.
When asked whether she was going to splurge on luxury goods like a car, Ms Holmes said 'I'm going to get everything I've ever wanted,' but didn't have any particular items in mind. 
Jackpot winners receive either payments over 29 years or a smaller cash lump sum.
It is not clear which option Ms Holmes will choose, though if she chooses the lump sum she will receive $127million before taxes.
The federal government will take 25 per cent of the total jackpot, and North Carolina state tax on the winnings is 5.75 per cent. 
The Scotchman convenience store that sold Ms Holmes her winning ticket has won a $50,000 incentive prize.
Ms Holmes said her uncle sold her the winning ticket, but wishes her grandmother was around to see her life change forever. 
+11
Shopping spree: Ms Holmes said, 'I'm going to get everything I've ever wanted' but she doesn't have any particular big luxuries in mind 
Government's cut: The massive payout will be diminished by a series of taxes, including 25 per cent taken by the IRS
+11
Government's cut: The massive payout will be diminished by a series of taxes, including 25 per cent taken by the IRS
Family affair: Ms Holmes bought the ticket from her uncle at a Scotchman convenience store in Shallotte, North Carolina (pictured)
+11
Family affair: Ms Holmes bought the ticket from her uncle at a Scotchman convenience store in Shallotte, North Carolina (pictured)
Emotional: Ms Holmes says she wishes her grandmother was around to see her begin her new life
+11
Emotional: Ms Holmes says she wishes her grandmother was around to see her begin her new life
She said that her grandma 'knew all about the struggle and what I was going through'.
At least two more Americans are also dozens of millions of dollars richer.
Winning tickets were sold in Princeton, Texas and Ponce, Puerto Rico.
The numbers of the fifth largest jackpot in U.S. history were revealed at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
The winning numbers for the  $564.1 million jackpot were 11-13-25-39-54. 
The Powerball red number was 19 and the Powerplay was 3x. 
'Check your #Powerball tickets! Look like we have a jackpot winner in Texas tonight!,'The Texas Lottery tweeted.
North Texas's Chandra Siwakoti will receive around $1million for selling the winning ticket at his convenience store, though he does not remember anything about the winner.
He did not know that he had sold the ticket until media began arriving at his store, according to NBC Dallas For Worth. 
Yeehaw!: The Texas lottery tweeted tonight that they have a Powerball winner somewhere in their state 
Yeehaw!: The Texas lottery tweeted tonight that they have a Powerball winner somewhere in their state 
Three winners: The winning numbers for the $564.1 million jackpot are 11-13-25-39-54, as revealed in the drawing on Wednesday night
Three winners: The winning numbers for the $564.1 million jackpot are 11-13-25-39-54, as revealed in the drawing on Wednesday night
The numbers of the fifth largest jackpot in U.S. history were revealed at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, with the locations of the winning tickets announced shortly afterwards.
The winning numbers for the  $564.1 million jackpot are 11-13-25-39-54. The Powerball red number is 19 and the Powerplay is 3x.  
The $500 million pot - which equates to a cash value of  $337.8 million - built steadily for two months.
The Powerball jackpot was last won on November 29. A Washington woman who bought her first-ever lottery tickets on a whim on Thanksgiving Day won $90 million. 
If no one won the Powerball  then the jackpot for the next drawing on February 14 could have equaled $650 million making it one of the largest  lottery game jackpots in U.S. history.
To win, the players needed five numbers and the Powerball number. The odds of winning are one in 175 million. 
The lottery is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Historic: The Powerball jackpot reached $500 million for Wednesday night's draw, making it the fifth largest prize in U.S. history
+11
Historic: The Powerball jackpot reached $500 million for Wednesday night's draw, making it the fifth largest prize in U.S. history
It is unsure if the Puerto Rican ticket's winner will pay federal tax. 
February 2014 was the last time that the Powerball reached the current prize amount.  
Powerball's biggest ever jackpot was awarded by the Multi-State Lottery Association - a cool $590.5 million - to the holder of a single winning ticket in 2013.
The association also operates the Mega Millions jackpot, which awarded a top prize of $656 million three years ago.
The Powerball is drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10.59pm in Tallahassee, Florida.
Powerball sales reached nearly $5 billion last year for game tickets that are sold through more than 210,000 lottery terminals. Each ticket costs $2.
The odds of winning are slim and people are more likely to die from vending machines than win, according to the Daily Beast. 
The odds of matching all five normal numbers drawn without matching the sixth 'Powerball' number are one in 5million.  
The game's jackpot has returned to $40million. 

TOP 5 POWERBALL LOTTERY WINNERS

1. $656million May 2012
The 'Three Amigos' in Milford Mill, Maryland; Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Illinois; and an anonymous winner from Ottawa, Kansas, all shared the largest jackpot in US history. 
The Three Amigos, a woman in her 20s, a man in his 40s and another woman in her 50s, all worked for the public education system in Maryland and collectively bought 60 tickets. They chose the lump sum option and each took home $35million after taxes.
The Butlers, a retired couple who live in southern Illinois and worked in St Louis, also chose the cash option of $158million. They managed to keep their win secret for three weeks before holding a press conference to announce it.
Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Illinois, chose the cash option of $158 million for their winnings
Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Illinois, chose the cash option of $158 million for their winnings
2. $648million December 2013
Steve Tran of Northern California and Ira Curry of Stone Mountain Georgia split the prize 50-50.
Mr Tran, a delivery driver, left a message on his boss's voicemail saying that he would not be coming in to work 'today, tomorrow or ever' after winning $324million from a ticket he bought in San Jose. 
Mrs Curry, 56 at the time, bought a ticket that was a combination of family birthdays. She selected the $173.8million pre-tax cash option.
3. $590.5million May 2013
Gloria C. Mackenzie, a retiree from Florida took home the largest Powerball prize ever.
She took the cash option and pocketed $278million after taxes, spending $2million on buying a new roof for her hometown high school. 
4. $587.5million November 2012
Matthew Good of Phoenix, Arizona, and Cindy and Mark Hill of Dearborn, Missouri, split the prize.
The Hills, in their 50s, had recently adopted a daughter from China before winning $293.7million and taking the money in a lump sum of $192million
Mr Good also took the lump sum and decided to remain anonymous. A public records request later revealed his identity as a 37-year-old father who works at an electronic company and lives in a wealthy suburb. 
5. $564.1million February 2015 
Three winning tickets were sold in North Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico. Only one person has come forward to claim that she has won.