MAPLE SHADE, N.J. -
From Oregon to Arizona, east to Massachusetts, thousands of people are shelling out their money for a chance to win the $550,000,000 Powerball prize, the largest jackpot in history.
The lines were long throughout our area Wednesday, with hopeful customers in line up before 6 a.m. at a Frankford store to buy tickets.
In Newtown, Bucks County, it was a similar scene as customers purchased their tickets leading up the Wednesday night drawing.
In Maple Shade, N.J. FOX 29's Chris O'Connell caught up with customers buying tickets to be the world's next millionaire.
On his personal Twitter account, Chris O'Connell tweeted he would share the winnings from his two Powerball tickets with all of his Twitter followers.
"I am buying 2 #Powerball tickets. I will equally share winnings with all of my followers. Will post pics of tickets later," O'Connell Tweeted just before 3 p.m.
By 9 p.m., Chris O'Connell's Twitter followers jumped by 200.
Through Wednesday evening, customers were in line to get tickets as fast as they could be printed.
One customer tells FOX 29 they've spent $200 a week on Powerball tickets.
"I stopped in to get a possible, I said I'll buy a couple tickets, it can happen," another customer said.
Since October 6th, officials say $77 million has been spent on Powerball in Pennsylvania.
You could spend the winnings on a lot of things, which got us thinking: What kind of coin could you buy in Philadelphia?
1. Buy every fan a ticket to Lincoln Financial Field
With the $550 million, you could buy every fan a ticket to an Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field for every Eagles game for the next 15 years.
2. Want to buy your own sports franchise?
If you wanted to, you could buy the Philadelphia Flyers and half the Philadelphia Sixers.
3. Pay Cliff Lee's contract
If you really were feeling generous, for $21 million a year you could pay Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee's contract for the next 26 years.
4. Pay off the Philadelphia School District Budget deficit
If you wanted to, you could pay off the Philadelphia School District budget deficit and still have some left over to hire more teachers.
5. Tuition at UPENN
You could take the money and pay four years of tuition at the University of Pennsylvania for 3,437 students.
6. Hungry? How about a cheesesteak.
If you get hungry, you could take the money and pay for 30 million cheesesteaks and 6.5 million cases of Butterscotch Krimpets.
Thousands of customers lined up early Wednesday morning and through the night for their shot at winning $550 million.
