Dawn and Steve Sandvik of Edgewater are headed to Hawaii with proceeds of her $30,000 top-prize win on a Bonus Crossword scratch-off.
Last-minute purchase gives lucky player a top prize on popular Bonus Crossword game
An Anne Arundel County resident left an Edgewater Super Giant last Friday with her groceries and a big bonus – a $30,000-winning Bonus Crossword scratch-off. She bought the $3 game at the last minute and won the top prize.
Dawn Sandvik was on her way out the door with her items when she saw the Lottery vending machine. The 53-year-old plays the Lottery sometimes and prefers bingo- and crossword-themed scratch-offs. On this day, she looked for the $5 Deluxe Crossword game, but didn’t see it in the machine. She opted for two of the $3 Bonus Crossword games, instead, and went home to unload the groceries and play the instant tickets.
“I was laying across the bed, scratching the tickets, when I came across a $5 win,” Dawn said. “I turned to my husband and told him, ‘I have $5!’” Her husband replied with a lack of enthusiasm, saying, “Whatever,” and walked out of the room.
Then, Dawn started scratching off the second instant ticket. Her heart began to race when she revealed winning word after winning word in the crossword play area. This time, it appeared the lucky player had a $30,000 winner. She went into the other room to show her husband the scratch-off, thinking he would certainly be excited.
“I could tell how she was walking and her voice that something was up right away,” said Dawn’s husband Steve, who accompanied her to Lottery headquarters to claim the prize. “When she showed me the ticket, I was shocked. We just kept checking it over and over and writing down all the words.”
They wanted to be certain about the win, so they returned to the grocery and used the scanner to check the instant ticket. Sure enough, the message said the scratch-off was a $30,000 winner.
Super excited, the couple immediately went to their two sons’ jobs and told them the good news. They also shared the story of her good fortune with Dawn’s sister-in-law.
“They were all so happy for us,” said Dawn. “We’ve had a rough few years,” Steve added.
Dawn, who works as an analyst and Steve, who is a warehouse employee, told Lottery officials that they already have a holiday trip to Hawaii planned and will use some of the prize for their vacation. They plan to save the rest of their winnings.
Sharing in Dawn’s good fortune is Super Giant #308 located at 13 Lee Airport Drive in Edgewater. The Anne Arundel County retailer receives a bonus of $300 from the Lottery, which is equal to 1% percent of the prize, for selling a top-prize winning scratch-off.
