The tearful winner, who plans to keep her Lottery luck a secret from everyone else, has big plans for her prize.
Baltimore County resident has big plans for $30,000 prize
Maryland Lottery games and their prizes can mean a lot of different things to players. While the games are a great way to pass the time and have fun with others, the prizes can have different meanings, or impacts, too. A $30,000 scratch-off win, for example, meant a life-changing income boost for a lucky Dundalk woman.
“Jessica Collins,” which is the nickname the winner selected for Lottery publicity purposes, told Lottery officials she has struggled to improve her circumstances while living on a $15,000 annual salary. The day a $30,000-winning Skee-Ball® instant ticket came her way, the 28-year-old had visited Royal Farms #068 in Dundalk to purchase games for her grandmother. The Baltimore County resident decided to buy herself the $3 Skee-Ball game while she was there.
After scratching off the instant ticket and adding up all of the Skee-Ball points, “Jessica Collins” was in shock. She asked the clerk to scan the instant ticket right away. When the clerk confirmed what she already knew, “Jessica Collins” asked for the instant ticket back and immediately put it away for safekeeping. The happy retail worker ran home and stashed the lucky scratch-off in her safe.
Once her fiancé arrived, “Jessica Collins” shared her great news. Her future mother-in-law, who sat with her in the Winner’s Circle, said that “Jessica Collins” won because she believed that she would.
“We’ve been praying for this,” they said. The family made a habit of praying over every instant ticket that “Jessica Collins” bought.
The tearful winner, who plans to keep her Lottery luck a secret from everyone else, has big plans for her prize. She wants to buy a car and start planning her wedding. She would also love to help her grandmother. “She’s like a mother to me and she’s been hoping to hit for a long time,” the winner said.
Also getting in on the fun is the Baltimore County retailer. Royal Farms #068 located at 7701 German Hill Road. The Dundalk store will get a $300 bonus from the Lottery for selling a $30,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.
