Aurora Woman 1 Of 5 Finalists For $1 Million Powerball Prize

AURORA, IL — An Aurora resident has a one in five chance of starting the new year with an extra million dollars in her pocket if her name is drawn during the "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" show.

Linda Perkins was one of five finalists randomly selected for the "Powerball First Millionaire of the Year" drawing. Chosen from a national pool across 29 U.S. lotteries, she beat the odds by even making it as a finalist.

"I learned that I won from an email in the middle of my workday so I was really shocked," Perkins said in a statement. "I can’t believe it, I’m still having a hard time believing this — I’m in total shock."

Even if Perkin's name isn't the one drawn just after midnight on New Year's Eve, she has already won. The five finalists, in addition to a shot at the big bucks, have each earned a $10,000 cash prize and an at-home New Year's Eve party package, which includes a 70-inch TV, a karaoke system, a laptop, a deluxe dinner for eight and $500 to spend at Party City.

The Aurora lottery player said she's already ecstatic to have won the $10,000 but if she wins another million, she said she would "scream, I would cry, and I would probably pass out."

"I normally try my best every year to stay awake past midnight, at least until the countdown, but I always seem to fall asleep about five minutes before," she said. "This year, I think I’ll be wide awake."

Country artist Jessie James Decker will be the Powerball correspondent on the last night of the year, and she'll be providing live updates throughout the evening. Decker will even check in with each finalist as they celebrate the new year in their homes across the country, according to a news release.

The other Powerball finalists include Aaron Rose from Slaughter, Louisiana; Robert Long from Waterloo, Iowa; Brian Mineweaser from Honey Brook, Pennsylvania; and Shari Beenken from Titonka, Iowa.

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