Retail cashier Deborah Stewart and husband Thomas bagged up a hefty $30,000 Bonus Crossword prize! |
Rare weekend off leads to Lottery scratch-off surprise
Deborah Stewart of Westminster had to study her Bonus Crossword scratch-off “across” and “down” several times before the Maryland Lottery instant ticket fan confirmed her $30,000 top-prize win.
The 60-year-old retail cashier was enjoying a rare weekend off when she crossed paths with Lottery luck. While shopping at Weis Market in Westminster, the Carroll County resident took a detour from the checkout lane to purchase the $3 instant ticket. She discovered the win the next day when she sat down to enjoy the extended-play game.
As she scratched away, the loyal player saw complete words begin to appear in her crossword. The words “villa,” “joy,” “language” and “seal” appeared along with “none,” “okay” and “subway.”
“I knew I had some letters and I thought, with just a few more I might have won something,” said Deborah. When she discovered her 10-word total delivered a $30,000 prize, she cried out for her husband Thomas. He greeted her with a hug and a kiss. “I did yell,” she said. “What else are you going to do!”
Deborah plans to use the proceeds from the lucky ticket for home improvements and retirement goals. The couple plans to reveal the big win to family members at an upcoming gathering.
Her lucky Lottery retailer also benefits from her win. For selling the top-prize ticket in the game, Weis Market #111 located at 630 Baltimore Boulevard will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery. The $3 Bonus Crossword game, which arrived in stores in 2014, has one $30,000 top-prize ticket remaining along with four $5,000 winning tickets. Players can also win thousands of other prizes ranging from $3 to $1,000.
Those with a non-winning Bonus Crossword ticket can extend their play and play for prizes by downloading the FREE Maryland Lottery Bonus Crossword app. Players can play on their mobile device or on their PC for a chance to win a Lottery coupon valued from $2 to $20, 10 to 200 My Lottery Rewards points and a Play-for-Fun option. For details, visit mdlottery.com/bonuscrossword.