Detour from routine leads to top-prize win
A Baltimore County man is celebrating after an unexpected break in routine resulted in a scratch-off last week. The retired food services worker was in complete shock as he scratched his way to a Tax-Free $50,000 top prize.
The 73-year-old usually purchases his tickets while picking up groceries, but wound up buying them at a different store this particular day. “I don’t usually buy tickets that expensive,” said the man. “But, I decided to splurge on a $5 scratch-off that day.”
At home that evening he scratched the ticket. It wasn’t until he got to the bottom of the ticket that he saw a winning emblem with the top prize below it. “I was kind of excited,” he said. “I’d never won anything in my life.”
He quickly called his wife and left a short and puzzling message. “I didn’t know what had happened. He just said that I better get home quickly because he had good news to share with me,” his wife told Lottery officials.
The lucky winner said he hasn’t decided how he might use his windfall, but said that it would make retirement a bit easier. “It’s great anytime that you have some extra money unexpectedly arrive,” said the winner. The winning ticket was purchased at the Royal Farms convenience store located at 601 Southwick Drive in Towson.