A tough time getting the grandkids up and ready for school just got worse when Kevin Fenwick opened his front door to see the bus drive past the house. What rotten luck, one might say. Kevin might have said so, too, if not for the path he traveled as a result of that Monday morning mishap that led him to a $50,000 top-prize Holiday Cash scratch-off win.
“I get a scratch-off ticket or two just about every day,” the home improvement specialist told Maryland Lottery officials. “There’s a particular Lottery store I stop by on the way to work that’s been pretty lucky for me.” Kevin had to bypass his lucky store for a day because the unwelcome school drop-off now inserted into his schedule altered his routine and route.
“I dropped the kids off and made my way to work, keeping an eye out for a store that sold tickets,” the 58-year-old said. It wasn’t long before he saw and stopped at Edgewood Liquors at 3302 Edgewood Street in Baltimore. “I knew exactly which game to look for,” he said. The owner of his regular Lottery retailer had recommended that he try the Holiday Cash game, which is a seasonal ticket that recently debuted. Kevin had tried the $5 game a few times with no great success. Based on his friend’s tip, however, the Baltimore man decided to give the Holiday Cash game one more try. That was a very good decision!
“When I saw the $50,000, I couldn’t believe it was real. I got up and walked around the house and sat back down in front of the ticket. The $50,000 was still there.” Kevin’s wife, learning the news minutes later over the phone, experienced a similar reaction. “I’ve been known to joke about big Lottery wins in the past,” Kevin explained. “I had one devil of a time convincing her that this one was real.”
While the shock and joy that accompanied his $50,000 win are constant, the loyal player said his overriding emotion has been relief. “We have several significant projects that we’ve gotten started but just haven’t been able to finish for financial reasons. Now we can, and that will let us move on to the next thing.” Holiday Cash has four more unclaimed $50,000 top prizes in its inventory.