Takes Home Second $50,000 Prize
Cool, calm and collected…the 77-year-old winner took his $50,000 Bonus Match 5 win in stride. The former army officer related his story quietly to Lottery officials and just happened to mention that he had been down this road before. He had, in fact, won the same prize about 18 years ago.
“I always maintain control,” he said. “I think that’s my personality and my military background.” The father-of-two plays the Lottery just about every day, with Pick 4 and Bonus Match 5 being his games of choice. He always picks his own numbers and on Sunday decided to switch them up a bit. “I played the same ones for a long time and hadn’t won, but usually when I stop, then they hit.” But, this time around the number change paid off.
“I checked my numbers in the Washington Post and in the Baltimore Sun,” said the winner, who likes to cross check just to be certain. Once convinced of his win, he said to his wife of 40 years, “Let’s take a ride to the Lottery.”
His wife’s reaction was much like his own. “She said ‘ok,’ she’s not real emotional either.” For all their nonchalance, the winner said that they are thrilled to have won and that the money will help to pay medical bills he incurred from cancer treatments.
“This is a godsend. It will help me to get out of a big financial hole,” said the winner. “Then, I’ll have the chance to give deeper thought to what I want to do.”
The ticket was purchased at the Columbia Grocery & Deli, located at 10400 Shaker Dr. in Columbia.