Happy couple Derrell and Elaine of Baltimore won $50,000 playing Bonus Match 5! A family vacation may be in the works. |
Baltimore residents take home $50,000 top prize in April 26 drawing
Baltimore’s Derrell McLeaurin and his girlfriend Elaine Jackson are loyal Maryland Lottery fans from Baltimore. Derrell prefers the jackpot games and Pick 4 while Elaine’s favorite is Bonus Match 5. And, it was Elaine that purchased the Bonus Match 5 ticket that yielded a $50,000 top win in the April 26 Lottery drawing.
Elaine was playing quick-pick tickets up until recently when she switched her routine to include her own numbers. She played her new lucky numbers — 3, 5, 10, 14 and 15 — at the Columbia 7-Eleven #11704 located at 5740 Columbia Road.
“I was just leaving the mall with my daughters and ran in quickly to play,” she said. “I didn’t know I won until the next day.”
The 36-year-old woke up on Saturday to see that she matched three numbers. Excited, she raced up to a Lottery retailer to scan the ticket to check for a big win. She was shocked when it said, “Congratulations, You’ve won $50,000!” To be sure of her Lottery luck, Elaine asked the cashier to check once again and confirm the win. She immediately called Derrell.
“She told me and I thought she was lying,” said Derrell. “Then, she sent me a copy of the ticket and I was like, “Wow,” she really did hit.”
Derrell, a 38-year-old Baltimore City Public Schools truck driver and Elaine, a Maryland Transit Administration bus driver, didn’t waste any time claiming the prize on Monday. Derrell revealed to Lottery officials that he dreamed about winning with his Pick 4 numbers of 5, 0, 2 and 1.
“I played those numbers on Thursday, but forgot to play on Friday and they came out,” he said. Those very numbers were selected in the midday drawing. “The crazy part is that’s the night Elaine won Bonus Match 5.”
The happy couple aren’t sure what they will do with the winnings just yet. They are still deciding, but mentioned the possibility of a family vacation.
The Howard County retailer has reason to celebrate, too. For selling the top-prize winning ticket in the game, the Columbia 7-Eleven earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery.