Deer Hunter Bags 50,000 Bucks with Lottery Scratch-Off

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GAITHERSBURG, MD — Nov. 16 didn’t start out as the best of days for deer hunter Kevin Taylor but it ended with a bang when the Gaithersburg resident bagged the biggest Lottery prize of his life.

The Giant Food employee won a $50,000 top prize in the Maryland Lottery’s Ultimate Cash scratch-off game.

Taylor had been thinking about going deer hunting early in the morning before starting a 3 p.m. shift at work. The Montgomery County man ended up canceling his hunting plans because of gout pain in his ankle and knee. After taking some medication, the 56-year-old needed a pick-me-up on his way to work and visited Goshen Plaza Beer & Wine in Gaithersburg.

“This is the first time I’m actually glad that I had a gout flare-up,” Kevin said. “I stopped off to get a Mountain Dew, and something about that ticket just called me out, so I said, ‘Give me one of those, Ultimate Cash.’ If I would have gone hunting, I wouldn’t have stopped there and bought that ticket.”

Kevin returned to his car with his soda and started scratching his $5 Ultimate Cash ticket. He was amazed at what he saw.

“I saw $5,000 and then another $5,000 … and it just kept going,” he said. “I was quaking and shaking, rubbing my eyes. I couldn’t believe it.”

After revealing $30,000 in prizes on the top portion of the ticket, he scratched the bottom portion and found the additional $20,000. “I went to work and clocked in and I showed the ticket to my boss, and he said, ‘Take it home right now and hide it,’ ” Kevin said.

The father of three and grandfather of two said he buys scratch-offs occasionally and enjoys playing Keno. His largest Lottery prize prior to this one was $1,000 won on a scratch-off several years ago. Kevin said he plans to pay medical bills and give some of his winnings to his children. The guitar enthusiast may also buy a new six-string instrument and is considering investment opportunities.

Goshen Plaza Beer & Wine, located at 9150 Rothbury Drive, will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

»Winner Kevin Taylor of Gaithersburg claims $50,000 prize, courtesy of Maryland Lottery