What started with $2 in his pocket ended with a $50,000 prize, happy tears, and a trip home on the horizon.
The longtime Lottery player from Brentwood in Prince George’s County, who typically buys tickets twice a week, was taking a break from doing laundry when he tagged along with his friend for a quick trip to the 7-Eleven at 3110 Hamilton Street in Hyattsville.
“I only had $2 in my pocket,” he said Oct. 22 after claiming the prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore.
He used that $2 to purchase a ticket and won $7. With his winnings, he bought a $5 Deluxe Crossword scratch-off. After scratching that ticket, he scanned it and received an unexpected message. Confused, he took the ticket to the counter, where the clerk gave him the good news: He had won $50,000.
“I was scared,” he recalled.
Once the news sank in, he called his mother to share the surprise. She wasn’t convinced at first.
“She didn’t believe me,” he said.
To prove it was real, he sent her a photo of the printout the clerk given him. She immediately became emotional.
“It brought me to tears,” his mother said.
The winner had both of his parents, his aunt and his nephew by his side when he claimed the windfall as the family was celebrating the special occasion.
The construction worker enjoys Reggaeton music, playing video games with his nephew and spending time with his family, and he already has plans for the prize money. He hopes to use the money to take a trip to his native El Salvador to spend time with his extended family.
The $50,000 win also arrives just in time for his 43rd birthday in November, making it an early birthday present he won’t soon forget.
The 7-Eleven that sold the ticket receives a $500 bonus.
