Discovers big win while playing games after midnight
A late-night tryst with a handful of Bonus Crossword scratch-offs yielded a $30,000 win for a 62-year-old Hagerstown resident. The lucky player can thank her husband for his winning touch when he purchased the instant tickets for her in early January.
The mother and grandmother was at home when her husband arrived with seven Bonus Crossword 2nd edition scratch-offs he had purchased for her at Longmeadow Wine and Liquors in Hagerstown. “Late Night Scratcher,” as she dubbed herself for Lottery publicity, didn’t play the games until after midnight.
“My husband had fallen asleep and there was nothing on TV, so I decided to play the scratch-off games,” she said. “When I saw I had all 10 words, I just couldn’t believe it.”
“Late Night Scratcher” checked her instant tickets again and again. The retiree finally woke up her husband to share her astonishing news.
“I’ve had some past health issues, so when he woke up he thought we needed to go to the hospital,” she said. “I told him, ‘Well, we might after I tell you this!’” She then proceeded to tell him she revealed a $30,000 win on one of the games he had brought home.
The retired daycare provider said her husband was also in shock, but went back to sleep. She, however, could not sleep. Instead, the Washington County woman called one of her sons and told him the good news. She then hid her instant ticket in her Bible to keep it safe.
The next day, the happy winner made an appointment to claim the prize and did so last week. “Late Night Scratcher,” who has five children and 15 great-grandchildren, told Lottery officials that she plans to use some of the winnings to plan a big family vacation this summer. The rest of the funds, she said, will go toward her retirement.
The Washington County retailer that sold the winning scratch-off can also celebrate. Longmeadows Wine and Liquors located at 1515 Potomac Avenue in Hagerstown will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery for selling a $30,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.
There are still many prizes remaining on the Bonus Crossword scratch-off including one more unclaimed $30,000 top prize, seven $5,000 prizes and more than 280,000 other prizes ranging from $3 to $1,000.
