Hurlock resident wins game’s $50,000 top prize
A lucky Dorchester County woman and Springdale Food Mart enjoyed a jolly holiday after she won $50,000 on a Bonus Match 5 ticket bought there on Christmas Day.
“I like to stop in once in a while because I like the people,” said the loyal Maryland Lottery player. “That day, I said ‘Merry Christmas, now let’s go get a Lottery ticket!’ ”
She decided to test her luck playing Bonus Match 5, which is a daily game with evening drawings. The 61-year-old bought a $2 quick-pick ticket at the East New Market store and returned home to Hurlock. Instead of checking the winning numbers that night, she waited a week because of her game superstitions.
When the player visited another of her favorite Lottery retailers to check the results of the drawing, she saw a confusing message appear on the ticket checker. She hadn’t seen such a message before, so she visited another retailer and scanned the $2 ticket again. She saw the same message! A clerk explained that her winning ticket was too big to cash at a Lottery retailer and she had to come to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim her prize.
“I sat down and said, ‘How in the world am I going to get there?’ ” the winner recalled. She made arrangements for the trip and arrived Jan. 3. Home improvements and sharing the windfall with family members top her list of things to do with her prize, which is her biggest win yet.
She’s hoping to set a new personal win record this weekend! The Lottery fan is joining the growing crowds of Powerball and Mega Millions players chasing those games’ jackpots, which have passed the $400 million mark together for the first time. The jackpot for the Friday, Jan. 5 Mega Millions drawing has reached $445 million, and may jump even more before the drawing. Powerball’s jackpot of $550 million may also rise before its Saturday, Jan. 6 drawing, depending on sales.
Also a big winner is her lucky Dorchester County Lottery retailer. Springdale Food Mart located at 5703 Mount Holly Road in East New Market earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning ticket in the Bonus Match 5 game.