Frederick man’s grocery outing leads to lucky scratch-off purchase
Visiting Weis Markets #100 in Frederick every other day for various items is keeping a retired police officer busy and on the road. While at the store, the Frederick County resident often picks up a ticket or two of the variety that deliver Maryland Lottery prizes rather than costly fines and driver’s license points.
This week’s scratch-off selection was the $5 Winning Streak game, which is his new favorite since it went on sale Feb. 25. The 76-year-old has won several prizes playing Winning Streak and hoped to surpass his largest Lottery prize of $60.
The game carries more than $14 million in total prizes, including more than $4,250,000 in prizes ranging from $50 to $500.
“I thought the odds were better for me to win something,” he said. Winning Streak certainly delivered! The Frederick resident scratched off the instant ticket in the store and revealed the game’s first $50,000 top prize.
“I said, ‘Holy Moly,’” the winner recalled. “This is the first time I’ve ever won anything like this. I couldn’t believe it.”
The married father of four adult children, who is also a grandfather and great-grandfather, quietly scanned the scratch-off on the store ticket checker to verify his big win. He left and headed to a retail store where his wife works. Taking her aside, he quietly said, “I want to show you something.” The big win was a welcome surprise and she shared the news with a few of her co-workers.
Although the winner is enjoying retirement, his wife has no plans yet to leave the job she’s held for more than a decade. Instead, they will pay off their bills with the prize and enjoy their quiet life.
The grocery store is also a winner. For selling the top-prize-winning scratch-off, Weis Markets #100 located at 2 Old Camps Road in Frederick earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery. The bonus is equal to 1 percent of the prize.
There are plenty of big prizes remaining in the Winning Streak game. The happy winner landed the first of nine $50,000 top prizes, and there are thousands of additional prizes ranging from $5 to $5,000.