Wins $30,000 Playing Fruit Twist Crossword Scratch-off
Accompanied by her brother and sister, an expecting Hyattsville woman visited Lottery Headquarters yesterday to claim a $30,000 prize she won two weeks ago playing the popular Fruit Twist Crossword scratch-off. Her siblings, who were with her when she made the momentous spur-of-the-moment purchase, could barely contain their excitement as the trio went through the claiming process. They appeared, in fact, a good deal more excited than the actual winner.
“We were together doing some grocery shopping when I saw a customer scratching a Lottery ticket,” said the lucky woman, who works at a mail-order warehouse. “I don’t play very often, but I decided to try one.”
She took the ticket home and, along with her boyfriend and her family, scratched it. “I found word after word, many more than I expected.” A crossword-style game, Fruit Twist Crossword rewards players for the number of words they find, with the size of the prize tied to the number of words.
“I think I was in shock when I realized how much I’d won.” As her family celebrated around her, all that she could think of was to stay calm. “I wanted to jump and dance with everyone else, but I wanted to stay calm for the baby, to stay relaxed.”
The 20-year-old expectant mom plans to help her family with her winnings and to prepare her home for her future arrival. She found her Lottery luck at Riggs Grocery at 5405 Kenilworth Ave. in Riverdale.