A Catonsville retiree’s winning scratch-off ticket brought him back to his former Montgomery Ward workplace, now home to Maryland Lottery headquarters.
CATONSVILLE, MD – A Maryland lottery player won $50,000 on a scratch-off ticket and ended up collecting his prize inside the same Baltimore building where he worked decades earlier. The Catonsville man’s trip to Maryland Lottery headquarters on Tuesday, October 27, turned into an unexpected reunion with his former workplace.
The winner purchased a $5 Hello Money! scratch-off ticket at the Route 40 Sunoco, located at 5612 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville. The ticket delivered a $50,000 prize, continuing what he described as a recent streak of smaller lottery wins.
But the biggest surprise came when he returned to Montgomery Park in Baltimore, where the Maryland Lottery maintains its headquarters. Long before the building became an office complex, it served as a warehouse for the Montgomery Ward department store chain, where the winner once worked.
$50,000 Lottery Win Brings Back Memories of Montgomery Ward
According to the Maryland Lottery’s October 28 announcement, the Catonsville resident arrived at Lottery headquarters Tuesday accompanied by his wife.
The building, now part of the Montgomery Park business complex, once operated as a warehouse for Montgomery Ward, the former national department store retailer.
For the winner, the location was familiar.
“I worked here for four or five years,” he told lottery officials while recalling his employment at the warehouse.
The experience added an unusual personal connection to collecting his $50,000 prize.
He had returned to a building associated with his working years, this time to collect money from a winning lottery ticket rather than report for a shift.
The Maryland Lottery did not identify the winner by name or specify when he worked at the former Montgomery Ward facility.
Winning Ticket Purchased at Catonsville Sunoco
The $50,000 prize came from Hello Money!, a $5 Maryland Lottery scratch-off game.
The winner purchased his ticket at Route 40 Sunoco, located at 5612 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville.
A longtime lottery player, he regularly visits the gas station to buy tickets.
He told lottery officials that the store’s customer service is a major reason he continues shopping there.
The retailer will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The Catonsville resident said he has experienced a string of smaller lottery successes in recent weeks and months.
Those prizes, ranging from $100 to $1,000, helped sustain his interest in playing before the larger $50,000 win.
His latest prize represents a substantial increase over those earlier winnings.
Winner Plans to Bank the Money Instead of Celebrating
Despite the significant prize, the winner and his wife are not planning any special purchases or celebrations.
He told Maryland Lottery officials that he intends to deposit the $50,000 into the bank.
The couple, who visited Lottery headquarters together, said they have already enjoyed a good deal of celebration recently.
“Truthfully we’ve been celebrating pretty good lately,” the winner said, referring to his recent run of lottery luck.
The couple’s low-key approach contrasts with the unusual circumstances surrounding the prize claim.
For this player, the experience combined a substantial financial win with a return to a building connected to his past.
And despite collecting $50,000, he apparently has no plans to stop playing the lottery.
When asked when he might return to Montgomery Park to claim another prize, he replied, “Hopefully after tonight’s drawing!”
The Maryland Lottery offers game information, prize details and claim instructions through its official website.