 Lucky 7 scratch-off with birthday numbers gives Joshua Fiedler of Olney a $77,777 win! |
First to claim top prize on Lucky 7 scratch-off
Coincidence or fate? An ailing 37-year-old Olney man in a 7-Eleven who saw his lucky number 7 everywhere – including on a Maryland Lottery scratch-off – is now $77,777 richer.
The retail management employee was recovering from a stomach virus when he ventured into the store at 18120 Georgia Ave in Olney. He was on a mission to buy fluids to rehydrate.
While there, Joshua Fiedler noticed a new scratch-off, Lucky 7. He remembers thinking, “My birthday is 7-11-77, I should get one of these.” That’s just what he did! The winner scratched the $5 ticket while in the store and saw lots of 7s appear before his eyes. He told Lottery officials that revealing the $77,777 top prize on the instant ticket was amazing.
“I didn’t believe my own eyes, so I had the retailer check it to make sure I wasn’t crazy,” he said. After calling his parents to share the news, Joshua headed home, signed the back of the ticket and secured it for the weekend. His dad, who accompanied him to Lottery headquarters, said he has one lucky son!
Joshua plans to invest his winnings and might treat himself to something special. The big winner snagged the first top prize on the scratch-off, which launched at the end of December and has three more $77,777 prizes remaining. For selling the top-prize ticket, the 7-Eleven will receive a $777 bonus from the Lottery.