UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (Sept. 22, 2016)—An Upper Marlboro woman did more than bring smiles, best wishes and a few moments of happiness to her hospitalized son-in-law. The lucky Maryland Lottery scratch-off fan also shared the exhilaration of seeing a $30,000 scratch-off win unfold, turning a low-key visit into a celebration!
The Prince George's County woman has a $30,000 winning Loteria scratch-off to thank for turning a hospital visit into a happy family memory. She found her lucky instant ticket en route to visit her son-in-law.
"I was on the way to the hospital when I noticed that the gas was getting low," said the 71-year-old wife and grandmother. She stopped at Wawa #562 in Upper Marlboro to fuel up her vehicle and went inside. "When I was paying for the gas, I saw the Lottery display and picked out two tickets," she said. Those Loteria scratch-offs went into her purse and with her to the hospital.
"I remembered the tickets as I sat talking with my daughter and her husband in the hospital room," she said. "When I scratched it, I was blown away! I couldn't believe my eyes."
The retired school employee passed the winning $3 scratch-off around the room, hoping to confirm the $30,000 win. "We all finally agreed that it was real, that I'd really won $30,000, but we couldn't really celebrate too much there in the hospital," she said. "It was tough keeping a lid on our excitement."
The lucky woman plans to pay off some bills with her prize and then take a trip somewhere. "I love seeing new places," she said. "I'm going to pick out someplace special this year. It's exciting."
The Loteria game went on sale in May. Players can look for the three unclaimed top prizes remaining in the game along with more than 350 $600 prizes and others ranging from $3 to $150.
Also happy about the win is the lucky retailer located at 163 Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro. This Prince George's County Wawa will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize scratch-off in the Loteria game.