Ellicott City Man Claims Top-Tier Cash Prize on Cruise for Cash Scratch-off
It was the first Valentine’s Day apart from his wife in almost 40 years of marriage for the Ellicott City man. But, although Cupid didn’t deliver romance, the Maryland Lottery came through with a $50,000 win for the doting husband who was departing on a business trip.
The father-of-four, who chose to remain anonymous, had to be in the Midwest this past Tuesday and the only flight he could take was in the early evening on Valentine’s Day. He had a little extra time before boarding his flight and purchased a couple of Cruise for Cash tickets from an instant ticket vending machine. After scratching his second ticket and seeing his $50,000 prize, the stunned winner said, “I called my wife and she couldn’t believe it. Then she asked me if I was coming straight home.”
Unfortunately he still had to make the trip. He immediately signed the ticket and kept it close to him at all times. “I had the ticket in my pocket at meetings, at meals. I didn’t go anywhere without it the entire time I was away.”
The lucky winner is planning a special surprise for his four sons – possibly a trip – and his wife is looking forward to doing something for their daughters-in-law. The couple is going to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend over a romantic dinner at Ruth’s Chris in Baltimore City. The winning ticket was purchased from a Hudson News instant ticket machine at BWI Airport.
The $5 Cruise for Cash scratch-off, which partners the Maryland Lottery with Royal Caribbean ® International, launched on January 10, 201l. The first ticket of its kind for the Maryland Lottery, the ticket features seven $50,000 instant top prizes, as well as 31 instant seven-night cruise vacations for two departing from Florida with a premium ocean view balcony stateroom; first class round-trip airfare- for-two to Florida; deluxe premium hotel accommodations for two for the night prior to cruise departure, $1,000 onboard credit and $500 spending money.
Cruise for Cash also features a second-chance contest with six more chances to win a nine-night cruise vacation for two, departing from the Port of Baltimore. Second-chance cruise prizes include a premium ocean view balcony stateroom on any one of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships departing from the Port of Baltimore and a $1,000 onboard credit. Players enter the second-chance contest by mailing in a non-winning Cruise for Cash scratch-off to the address on the back of the ticket or by going online at mdlottery.com/cruise. Players who enter online MUST keep their original Cruise for Cash ticket to present for validation.