This woman used ChatGPT to cash in for her good deeds.
In a remarkable story of generosity and gratitude, a woman who recently won the lottery has announced that she plans to donate every penny to charity.
Carrie Edwards, a resident of Midlothian, Virginia, matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball in the September 8 Virginia Lottery drawing, leading to a sizable windfall.
While the initial prize was $50,000, Edwards had opted to pay an extra dollar for the Power Play option, which tripled her winnings to $150,000.
Edwards, who isn’t a frequent online lottery player, revealed that she used to her phone’s ChatGPT app to pick her numbers. “I’m like, ChatGPT, talk to me… Do you have numbers for me?” she recalled during a press conference.
Two days later, Edwards was sitting in a meeting when a notification on her phone stopped her in her tracks: “Please collect your lottery winnings.
At first, she thought it was a scam. “I thought, ‘I know I didn’t win,’” she said. But after verifying the news, she was in for a life-changing surprise.
“As soon as that divine windfall happened and came down upon my shoulders, I knew exactly what I needed to do with it. And I knew I needed to give it all away, because I’ve been so blessed, and I want this to be an example of how other people, when they’re blessed, can bless other people,” she said.
True to her word, Edwards has pledged to divide the full $150,000 among three causes close to her heart.
The first charity on her list is the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), an organization that supports research into a disease that claimed the life of her late husband in 2024. Frontotemporal degeneration causes early-onset dementia and has left a profound impact on her life.
Edwards’ second donation will go to Shalom Farms, a regenerative farm based in Richmond that focuses on food justice and community-driven solutions to food insecurity. “It’s the greatest organization, because they understand that — when it comes down to it — we all are responsible for helping each other in this life and helping the community, and helping those who don’t have what we have. [It’s] something that they are focused on through their food justice and food equity program,” she said.
The final organization on her list is the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, which Edwards said is “very near and dear to her heart.” Her father, a fighter pilot, supported the society throughout his life, and she is continuing his legacy by donating to it.
As Edwards prepares to give away the money, she emphasized how blessed she felt to be in a position to help others. “Because it’s a windfall I didn’t expect, and it’s certainly going to help those in need,” she said.
Her story is a testament to the power of generosity, showing that even unexpected windfalls can be used for the greater good. While many may dream of a lottery win to change their own lives, Edwards is proving that sometimes, the most meaningful way to spend newfound wealth is by giving it away.
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