(Pierre) –  A group of 17 people, mostly retired teachers and friends from Aberdeen, has claimed the $200,000 Powerball prize won in Wednesday night’s drawing.

Kathy Griffin and Pete Weig of Aberdeen today claimed the prize for “The Crew” at the Lottery office in Pierre.  It wasn’t the first time the group has won a big lottery prize.

In December 1993, “The Crew,” then thirteen middle school teachers and friends, won a Dakota Cash jackpot.  The jackpot was split among three winning tickets, and the Aberdeen group won $20,203 of the $60,609 jackpot.  Eight of the original group are still members and will now share in the $200,000 Powerball prize.

Weig, a retired math teacher, is one of the eight original members and acts as the group’s secretary.  “Whenever someone wants to join, I explain that this is a lifetime commitment,” he said smiling.  “I’m sure quite a few of our group will still keep playing.”

Griffin, another of the eight original members and a retired social studies teacher, said she just sat and laughed when she found out they’d won a big prize again, this one ten times bigger than their jackpot win.  “Who would believe it,” she said.  “I called my son and he said we must be just working our way up.”

The 17 members of “The Crew” are:

Ron Button, Grenville*

Kathy Ernst, Aberdeen

Kathy Griffin, Aberdeen*

Ruth Hausmann, Harrisburg*

Pat Heath, Aberdeen

Jerry Heupel, Aberdeen

Lynn Karrigan, Aberdeen

Ed Korbel, Aberdeen

Denny Krueger, Mina*

Carrie Lashly, Aberdeen

Greg Murley, Aberdeen

Dick Nelson, Aberdeen*

Lu Thompson, Aberdeen*

Corliss Vergeldt, Rosholt*

Pete Weig, Aberdeen*

Ricky Weig, Aberdeen

The group bought their Powerball ticket at Strudels C Store in Aberdeen – the same store where they purchased their winning Dakota Cash ticket.  Strudels will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning Powerball ticket.