Retired postal worker wins game’s top prize
He plays Maryland Lottery games frequently with mixed results, a retired U.S. Postal Service employee told Maryland Lottery officials. The Woodlawn resident does so for the thrill of possibly winning and the thrill of actually winning, which he did on Feb. 18. He attributes his $50,015 worth of success playing Bonus Match 5 to his daughter’s intercession.
“I’ve won a number of times over the years, as much as $24,000 once,” said the 74-year-old. “I’ve focused on Bonus Match 5 in recent years and have hit for $400 at least four times.”
He brought up a conversation with his daughter and his subsequent top-prize win as a possible sign that his good luck with the game might have gotten a powerful boost. “When I spoke to my daughter last week, I mentioned that I’d just missed the big prize by only two numbers. She told me that she’d say a prayer that those extra numbers show up for me.”
The night of the drawing, the father saw the winning numbers on TV, wrote them down and started comparing them to numbers on several Bonus Match 5 tickets he’d purchased. When he saw the same numbers on his notepad and on one of the tickets, the happy player reports breaking into a big smile. “I thought about my daughter immediately and sent a prayer of thanks to her and to the man upstairs.”
He bought his lucky $6 ticket at Speedy Mart, which is located at 1697 N. Forest Park Avenue in Gwynn Oak. The retailer earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery for its role in the sale. The happy winner said he would use some of the prize to pay bills and share the rest with his daughter.
