Crystal Lake Woman Buys Winning $250,000 Scratch-Off Ticket During Trip to Grocery Store

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL - It could have just been another routine trip to the grocery store, but Marie Albanese decided to stop to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket while leaving the Jewel in Crystal Lake and soon learned she had won $250,000.

Albanese of Crystal Lake said she was shocked when she saw she had won.

“My heart started pounding like crazy when I saw the prize amount,” she said when she presented her winning ticket at the Lottery Prize Center in Des Plaines.

She bought the scratch-off ticket from a self-service dispensing machine at the Jewel Food Store, 6410 Northwest Highway, while she was on her way out of the store, according to the Illinois Lottery press release.

“For no particular reason, I chose the Sapphire Blue 7’s ticket. I’m so glad I did,” she said.

She plans to share the windfall with her children. Jewel received a $2,500 bonus, one percent of the prize amount, for selling a winning ticket.

For more information, visit www.illinoislottery.com.