Greenbelt man wins $50,000 playing Bonus Match 5 for first time
A disabled U.S. Army veteran who found his Lottery luck playing Bonus Match 5 for the first time plans to use most of his $50,000 prize to help other vets.
The Prince George’s County resident, who is planning to move this summer, will earmark some of the prize to cover last-minute moving-related expenses. “The rest will go toward a foundation I’m helping to start,” he said. “We’ll be putting down-on-their-luck veterans together with programs that can address their specific needs.”
The 66-year-old truly believed that good fortune would visit him, although he expected it to arrive via Powerball or Mega Millions. The father of five grown children and grandfather of 12 reports that luck has always followed him. “It got me through my battle wounds and a year in the hospital,” said the Greenbelt man. “It got me home from Vietnam and has delivered to me a pretty good life, a great family.”
When his roommate suggested that he try a new Lottery game, the lucky man picked Bonus Match 5. “I’d never tried it before, but the $50,000 top prize caught my attention.”
Also catching his attention a few days later was a sign hanging at Giant #316 at 6000 Greenbelt Road. The sign announced the sale of a winning Bonus Match 5 ticket at the store, which is where he’d made his Lottery purchase.
“I dug out my ticket and had them check it,” he said. “The clerk said it was too big to cash there. That’s when I knew that my luck had arrived.”
For selling the top-prize ticket, the retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery.