A happy Thurmont man is “Rolling Along” with his Bonus Match 5 top-prize win. |
Lucky charter bus driver wins $50,830 in Feb. 7 drawing
If you took a weekend bus trip out of state recently and thought your driver seemed preoccupied, you were correct! A Thurmont grandfather of three and step-grandfather of even more got behind the wheel for his customers even though he had a $50,830 winning Bonus Match 5 ticket at home.
“I couldn’t call and cancel without notice on a three-day trip,” he told Lottery officials when he claimed his prize on Feb. 11. “I locked the ticket up and came to work. I thought about it all the daggone time, though!”
Mr. “Rolling Along,” as he dubbed himself, has faithfully played Bonus Match 5 for three decades. The father of three always buys two $6 tickets and plays the same numbers. “I don’t know any more how I came up with them,” he said, smiling.
On the day the loyal player was “Rolling Along” to buy his Lottery tickets, Sheetz #200 in Thurmont came into view. The retired firefighter, who worked nearly 24 years for a Maryland fire department, bought his Bonus Match 5 tickets for the Feb. 7 drawing and went on his way. “Rolling Along” also plays Pick 3, and has claimed a $3,500 prize in the past. The 52-year-old checks the fate of his Bonus Match 5 and Pick 3 tickets on his smartphone after the drawings.
“I put my finger over the winning numbers and peel the finger back to reveal a number at a time,” he said. This time, as he revealed the winning Bonus Match 5 numbers one by one, “his” familiar numbers appeared. “Oh my gosh!” he remembers thinking. “I was just stunned. I know my numbers by heart but I had to check my ticket.”
He went home and scanned the ticket twice using the Lottery smartphone app. Seeing the $50,830 prize appear was a wonderful sight!
“Rolling Along” has shared his good news with his wife and immediate family members along with a few co-workers. The big winner plans to spend some of his prize on home improvements and put the rest into savings. He also plans to keep playing Maryland Lottery games!
The lucky man is the seventh player to win a $50,000 Bonus Match 5 top prize in 2019. Also in the money is his Frederick County retailer. Sheetz #200 at 428 North Church Street earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning ticket in the daily game.