Grandmother finds top prize on Maryland game
Although the weather outside was dreary, a Baltimore woman who visited Maryland Lottery headquarters to claim a $10,000 scratch-off prize wore a smile so bright it was as if a ray of sunshine had entered the Winner’s Circle.
“I’m going on zero sleep right now,” said the Baltimore city government employee. “Life has been crazy since lunch time yesterday.”
The 59-year-old mother of one and grandmother of three was finishing her midday meal at Lexington Market when she decided to top it off with a Lottery scratch-off. “I play scratch tickets three or four times every week and do pretty good,” she said. “My fiancé complains about me playing sometimes, but I bet I won’t hear any of that for a while.”
She chose the Maryland instant ticket at the Tobacco Stop, which is located at 400 West Lexington Street in Baltimore, before heading home.
“My fiancé got a phone call while we were talking so I decided to scratch my ticket while I was waiting,” she said. “I saw that I had a match and was really hoping for a $500 win. When I saw the 10 and those zeros, well, I was just stunned.” After sneaking out to confirm her win with a neighborhood retailer, she returned home to share the news with her significant other. “Neither of us could really believe it was true.”
The recent arrival of her third grandchild has helped our lucky winner decide how to spend her prize. “My daughter and her kids are going to be as surprised as I was when they see what I have in mind for them,” she said. “We’re glad to be able to share this good luck.”
The $2 Maryland instant ticket hit retailers’ shelves last summer and so far has revealed five of its six $10,000 top prizes. There are still plenty of prizes remaining for players to find, including three $5,000 prizes and thousands of others ranging from $2 to $1,000.