Anne Arundel County husband kept his Pick 5 payday secret until they pulled into Lottery headquarters
LAUREL, MD – An Anne Arundel County man kept his Pick 5 lottery win secret from his wife for weeks, telling her they were headed to a medical appointment before revealing the surprise when they pulled into Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore.
The couple, who are using the names Mr. and Mrs. Thankful for publicity purposes, claimed a $25,000 Pick 5 prize Monday, Aug. 10, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The winning numbers came from an unlikely source.
Some time ago, Mr. Thankful and his wife were spending an evening with friends when the conversation turned to the Lottery. Mr. Thankful asked his friend’s wife to give him a random set of numbers.
She chose 1-9-2-4-3.
Mr. Thankful continued playing the combination straight and boxed and said the numbers had brought him luck over the years.
That luck delivered its biggest payoff in the July 26 midday Pick 5 drawing.
Two days before the drawing, he placed a 50-cent straight wager on 1-9-2-4-3. The five numbers were subsequently drawn in that exact order, giving him a $25,000 prize.
Mr. Thankful checks his tickets daily and initially had trouble believing the result. He repeatedly examined the ticket and compared it with his list of numbers before confirming the win.
But he didn’t immediately tell his wife.
Instead, Mr. Thankful kept the news to himself until the couple traveled to Baltimore this week.
Mrs. Thankful said her husband told her they were going to a medical appointment. She learned where they were actually headed when they pulled into the Maryland Lottery parking lot.
The couple said they plan to place the winnings into savings after paying for car repairs and several bills.
Jackie’s Liquors at 3392 Laurel Fort Meade Road in Laurel sold the winning ticket. The Anne Arundel County retailer will receive a $250 bonus from the Maryland Lottery for selling the top-prize ticket.
Key Points
- An Anne Arundel County man won $25,000 on Pick 5 using numbers originally suggested by his friend’s wife.
- He kept the win secret from his wife and told her they were going to a medical appointment before driving to Lottery headquarters.
- The couple plans to save the remaining money after paying for car repairs and bills.
