BALTIMORE – A couple of Saturdays ago, May 23rd, was a particularly rainy day. So much so that a retired St. Mary’s County woman almost didn’t tackle a chore on her list for the day. She went back and forth, but ultimately deciding that it needed doing. This was a very profitable choice, for among the items she brought home was a Red 5’s Doubler Scratch-Off ticket worth $100,000.
“I really don’t drive when it’s raining heavily if I can help it,” the veteran and former investigator told Lottery officials when in Baltimore June 2 to claim her prize. “But I also really don’t like it when my fridge and pantry are empty.”
The chore that caused her so much consternation was a trip to the grocery store, and Lottery tickets are always on her shopping list.
“That’s when I buy my Lottery tickets. I only play at the grocery store,” she said.
She took her time driving to the Food Lion in Leonardtown, took her time picking out the items on her list and, unlike her normal routine, took her time sitting in the car in the parking lot. Typically, she heads straight home before scratching her tickets.
“I got absolutely soaked coming out with my bags. I wanted to dry off and warm up a bit,” she said. While waiting for the car’s heater to do its work, she decided to scratch her two tickets, both $10 Red 5’s Doubler games.
Her first reaction upon recognizing the $100,000 top-prize win was that something was wrong with the ticket.
“I knew what I was seeing couldn’t be right.”
By the time she half-way believed that Lottery luck had found her, she was dry and warm.
“I wasn’t convinced, so I stopped at another store to check it,” she said. Even that confirmation didn’t get her to 100%. “I was close, but a little bit of me still doubted it.”
Having claimed, however, she’s now fully convinced.
Red 5’s Doubler debuted in December 2025 with nine top prizes. Two of the $100,000 winners remain unclaimed, along with four $20,000 second-tier prizes. The Food Lion at 40955 Merchant Lane in Leonardtown receives a $1,000 bonus from for selling the top-prize winner.