By Todd Northrop
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia woman won $1 million Tuesday after attempting to show her friend how to play a scratch-off ticket lottery.
Merry Thomas took her friend Julie to the Giant Food store on Town and Country Road in Fredericksburg where she showed her how to work the self-serve machine to scan for a winning ticket.
Julie's ticket won $12.
Merry's ticket won $1 million.
"I've been freaking out since then!" Merry said.
"Right in front of my eyes, I saw this woman turn into a puddle," Julie added.
A Virginia Lottery spokesman said Thomas bought the ticket after finishing an overnight shift, but said she did not want to disclose her job. Thomas could not be reached for comment.
Merry won the top prize in the 20X the Money game. She had a choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $630,915 before taxes. She chose the cash option.
Merry said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.
"I just feel so fortunate," she said. "It's unbelievable!"
The Stafford Giant will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
The grocery store is less than 2 miles from a Stafford Wawa that sold another life-changing scratch-off ticket earlier this month.
Virginia Lottery spokesman John Hagerty said the string of good luck in southern Stafford "just goes to show that it can happen any time, any place."
Two weeks ago, a Stafford man claimed a $492,919 prize from a Virginia Lottery scratch-off ticket. Shaun Bennett, a carpenter, purchased his winning "20 Years of Cash" ticket at the Wawa on Butler Road.
He opted for a one-time cash payment over his other option: $2,500 a month for 20 years.
20X the Money (Game #1689) is one the Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery, with prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. The chances of winning $1 million in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.44.
YOI!
AND DOUBLE YOI!
A good deed rewarded. Merry Thomas is now $600,000.00 richer. This is a giant addition to her retirement fund.
I would have been happy with the 12 bucks her friend got the way my luck has been running.
Maybe she can give some $$$ to her friend. She might have brought the luck. congratulations
Maybe her Pupil will turnaround and repest the Lesson and Win $1,000,000 too!
Good for her!
Anyone doubt luck?
Wow! "Merry" Christmas!
Congrats!!!
As Frank used to sing....
"Luck, be a lady tonight"
It will be a Merry Xmas for Merry Thomas. Always nice to help educate other people. Congrats.