Upper Marlboro winner shares prize with close friend
As he recalls, Aug. 27 was just a normal Saturday when the Upper Marlboro man decided to play Pick 5. He had a strong desire to play the game because a special number was nagging at him.
Giving into his hopefully lucky hunch, the player purchased seven tickets. He bought six tickets with a $1 straight bet using the lucky numbers and one with a straight bet for 50 cents. The 57-year-old wound up winning $275,000, plus another $50,000 from a ticket he gave to his friend.
The Prince George’s County resident said he and his friend were on a neighborhood stroll last week when a for sale sign caught their eye. The address on the home was 10916, a number that was familiar to the lucky player.
“It was my friend’s exact address, too,” said the winner, smiling. “So, I knew I had to play those numbers.”
The federal government employee did just that on Saturday and played the seven tickets for Saturday’s midday drawing. He was at work when he realized he won.
“I checked the numbers on my phone and said ‘Wait a minute’ when I saw I matched the number,” he said. “I was shocked it really came out.”
The father of adult children couldn’t wait to get off work and tell his friend about his good fortune. He scanned one of the tickets and showed her the $50,000 winning message.
“I thought it was a joke at first,” she said. “And then, he gave me one of the tickets to claim for myself.”
They were thrilled about the win and enjoyed the rest of the weekend before claiming the prizes earlier this week. The winner and his friend already have plans for the prize money. They plan to pay bills, take a vacation and put the rest away for a rainy day.
Sharing in this good fortune is One Stop Food Store, located at 5699 Suitland Avenue in Suitland. For selling the seven winning tickets, the Prince George’s County store receives a bonus totaling $3,250.
