NORTH POTOMAC, Md. — A North Potomac resident is heading to the Caribbean thanks to an $8,888 prize he won in the Maryland Lottery’s Back to the Future second-chance promotion.
Paul Cohen claimed the top prize on July 18, saying the amount initially puzzled him until he connected it to the famous movie’s time-travel speed.
“I didn’t understand the $8,888 and then I figured it out,” Cohen said with a laugh, referring to the 88 miles per hour speed required for time travel in the film.
Cohen, a retired driver and longtime fan of the 1985 film, said he’s watched Back to the Future over 100 times. The win comes just in time to cover the full cost of a cruise he had already booked to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
“This pays for the whole cruise,” Cohen said.
His win concluded a series of five second-chance drawings themed around the movie. Other winners received amounts tied to key years in the film, including $2,025, $2,015, and $1,955.
While Cohen’s prize ends the promotional drawing, the Back to the Future™ scratch-off ticket, which launched March 24, still has multiple top prizes remaining, including three $10,000 instant wins.
