LEXINGTON PARK, Md. – A lucky Lexington Park woman who began playing Pick 5 a few months ago used some very special numbers to pave the way to an amazing $25,000 payday.
The St. Mary’s County resident enjoys the Pick 3/4/5 games and always plays them for four days in a row. Last week, she did just that at Canopy Liquors in Lexington Park and placed a Pick 5 50-cent straight bet with the numbers 21570.
She then went on about her day and didn’t check her tickets until the next morning, when she was getting ready for work.
“I woke up extra early for some reason and couldn’t get back to sleep,” said the federal government employee. “Something said to check my tickets, so I did.”
The 60-year-old pulled up the winning numbers on her phone and began checking her tickets. When she looked over the Pick 5 ticket, she saw her numbers matching one by one in the exact order. The loyal player realized she was holding a $25,000-winning ticket.
“I started shaking,” she said. “It just seemed so unreal.”
The lucky lady couldn’t believe her luck and has only shared the news with a good friend. That friend helped her figure out the process to claim the $25,000 prize and to make an appointment. She claimed her prize at Lottery headquarters on Friday morning.
The ecstatic winner already has plans for her newfound wealth. She shared with Lottery officials that she plans to pay off a couple of credit card bills, pay down a loan, take a much-needed vacation and put the remainder in the bank.
The Lottery retailer that sold the winning ticket, Canopy Liquors, is located at 21636 Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, also wins.
For selling the $25,000-winning ticket, the St. Mary’s County retailer will receive a $250 bonus from the Lottery.