After winning the lottery, a generous woman chose to give away all her prize money to charity. Her incredible act of kindness is inspiring hearts everywhere.
Heather Riggleman



A woman wins the lottery and gives all her winnings to charity! Can you believe it? Most of us have whispered it at one point or another: If I ever win the lottery, here’s what I’d do… We dream of vacations, buying our dream homes, early retirements, or that one splurge we’ve always wanted. But very few of us would do what Carrie Edwards of Chesterfield, Virginia, actually did when the impossible dream became her reality.

Carrie held a $150,000 winning ticket in her hands. She could have spent it on herself, on comfort, on security, on silly, meaningless things. Instead, she opened her palms wide and gave it all away. Every single penny in order to bless others.

She Gave to Causes That Were Important to Her
“This cause is deeply personal,” Carrie said as she handed over her first gift of $50,000 to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a battle her late husband Steve had fought with heartbreaking courage. She said, “During World FTD Awareness Month, I wanted this gift to shine a light on the families who are fighting this disease and on the researchers working toward a cure. God is blessing me so I can bless others through him.”

Her second $50,000 went into the soil—literally—at Shalom Farms, where food and justice grow side by side in Richmond. Her third gift of $50,000 went to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, continuing the legacy of service and sacrifice for military families in need.

She Was a Woman Who Knew She Had to Give Her Lottery Winnings to Charity
“These three organizations represent healing, service, and community,” Carrie said with conviction. “Shalom Farms heals through food and soil, AFTD brings hope through research, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society carries forward the tradition of supporting military families in times of need.”

What kind of heart does this? A heart cracked wide open by grief, softened by compassion, and held steady by the God who multiplies blessings when they’re given away. Carrie could have chosen to hold tight to her prize. Instead, she lived open-handed, showing us that blessings are never meant to stop with us—they’re meant to flow through us.

She Believes it Will Serve a Greater Purpose
“I feel blessed that this unexpected lottery win can serve a greater purpose,” she said. And in her words, we hear the echo of something eternal: that when God blesses us, it is so we can bless others.

Carrie’s story is more than a headline about winnings and donations—it is a glimpse of what the kingdom of God looks like here on earth. Where healing, service, and community rise up through the generosity of one woman who chose to give it all away. And perhaps that’s the real win—when love, not money, becomes the prize.

2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

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