Kindness in Coronavirus Crisis Led to Lottery Luck
Saturday May 2nd 2020Three players from across the country recently enjoyed lottery wins after they helped out family and friends during the coronavirus outbreak.
Errand for Wife Leads Kentucky Man to $1 Million Jackpot
A Louisville man purchased a scratch-off ticket worth $1 million while running an errand for his wife. The winner, who wanted to stay anonymous, spent $20 on the Kentucky Millions ticket - and the name turned out to be accurate.
"My wife wanted something from the store and asked me to buy her four $5 scratch-offs. I bought one of the Kentucky Millions tickets for myself. It's one I always play," the winner said.
He purchased the winning ticket at Thorntons on Dixie Highway and scratched it as he sat outside in his car.
Seeing he'd matched the last number, 36, he noticed that the corresponding prize amount printed underneath was the $1 million jackpot.
Initially, he couldn't believe his luck. "At first, I was like, no way," he said. "I took a double take, when I saw $50,000 a year for 20 years, realizing it was the big one."
The winner opted to receive his payment as a cash lump sum of $758,000 rather than yearly annuity payments. He and his wife plan to use the prize money to purchase their dream home.
Keep up with the Kentucky lottery's coronavirus updates and find out how to claim a prize while offices are closed.
Favor for Neighbor Leaves Delaware Woman $250,000 Better Off
A Wilmington woman's errand for a neighbor led her to a quarter-of-a-million-dollar lottery win. The 52-year-old woman visited the Windsor Market at the request of her neighbor.
"One of my neighbors who lives in my building and is a friend asked me to go to the store for them. While I was there, I figured I'd get a ticket or two for myself," the woman said.
On the spur of the moment, she picked up two Money Frenzy scratch-off tickets at the store - one of which turned out to be worth $250,000, the game's top prize.
"It was a total shock because I wasn't supposed to go to the store that day," the woman recalled.
She's been playing the Delaware Lottery for about two years but until now she hasn't won a large prize. The first person she shared the good news with was her daughter. The winner plans to use her prize money to buy a disability-accessible van and move to a new home.
Helping Wife with New Job Delivers $100,000 Bonus for Oregon Man
Levi Robinette recently pulled an all-nighter to help his wife settle in to her new overnight work schedule.
But the helpful husband admitted he might have had an ulterior motive: "My wife is also my manager at work, so I figured it would be in my best interest to stay up," he said with a smile. "It really was!"
Both Levi and his son stayed up all night, and felt the need for a caffeine fix in the morning. They headed to Jackson's Food Store in Ontario, Oregon to grab some energy drinks, and picked up some $10 scratch-off tickets too.
When Levi found out one of the tickets had hit the $100,000 jackpot, his fatigue suddenly vanished. "I walked in to get an energy drink, and I walked out with $100,000," he said.
Levi redeemed his winning ticket at Oregon Lottery headquarters, which has adapted its claim process for social distancing. A lottery staff member handed the new winner his "big check" with a grabber tool to maintain distance as they posed for a photo.
Levi said he plans to buy a new motorcycle and then save the rest of the money.
If you live in Oregon, you can stay safe at home and still enjoy playing the lottery online with secure checkout and automatic prize payment.
Coronavirus Lottery Changes
Lotteries across the country have taken steps to combat the spread of COVID-19, including closing offices, extending ticket expiration deadlines, and encouraging mail-in claims.
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