$50K Lottery Win Earmarked for Home Improvements

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A maintenance worker who has enjoyed playing Maryland Lottery scratch-off games regularly for years got the surprise of a lifetime last weekend when he won a $50,000 top prize on the You Win ticket.

The Gaithersburg resident had purchased a few instant tickets earlier in the day but didn’t find any winners. Later, he visited Quick Convenient Mart in Gaithersburg and decided to buy one more ticket for the day – a $5 You Win game. He took it home and was by himself when he scratched it and revealed his $50,000 prize.

“I’ve won $50 or $100 before, and I won $500 about three months ago, but I’ve never won anything this big,” he said. The 59-year-old told his wife the good news that night. “She said, ‘I don’t believe it – you’re lying!’ And when I showed her it was true she said, ‘Don’t tell anybody!’ ”

Indeed, the lucky winner hadn’t even shared the news with his youngest son, who accompanied him to Maryland Lottery headquarters to claim the prize.

“I thought it was $10,000,” said the winner’s son. “I didn’t find out it was $50,000 until we got here.”

The loyal scratch-off player from Montgomery County said he planned to use some of the prize money to pay for home improvements and put the rest into savings.