She almost stayed home as the storm rolled in but one stop at a Leonardtown grocery store changed everything
LEONARDTOWN, Md. — A retired St. Mary’s County woman nearly skipped a rainy-day grocery run, but the decision to brave the weather ended with a $100K Maryland Lottery prize after she purchased a winning Red 5’s Doubler Scratch-Off ticket during a routine stop at a Leonardtown supermarket.
The St. Mary’s County resident claimed her prize on June 2 after discovering she had won a $100,000 top prize on a $10 Red 5’s Doubler Scratch-Off ticket.
According to Maryland Lottery officials, the woman, a military veteran and former investigator, almost postponed her trip to the grocery store because of heavy rain. After deciding she needed to restock her refrigerator and pantry, she made the drive to the Food Lion at 40955 Merchant Lane in Leonardtown.
Lottery tickets are a regular part of her grocery shopping routine, and she purchased two Red 5’s Doubler Scratch-Off tickets during the visit.
Unlike her normal habit of waiting until she got home, the woman remained in her vehicle after shopping to dry off and warm up after getting soaked in the rain. While sitting in the parking lot, she scratched both tickets.
That’s when she uncovered the game’s top prize.
Her first reaction was disbelief, according to lottery officials, as she initially thought there must be something wrong with the ticket.
She later stopped at another retailer to verify the win, but even then remained uncertain until officially claiming the prize.
The winning ticket came from the Food Lion in Leonardtown. The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the top-prize ticket.
Red 5’s Doubler launched in December with nine top prizes worth $100,000 each. Maryland Lottery officials said two of those top prizes remain unclaimed, along with four second-tier prizes worth $20,000.
Key Points
- A St. Mary’s County retiree won a $100K top prize on a Red 5’s Doubler Scratch-Off ticket.
- She bought the winning ticket during a rainy grocery trip to Food Lion in Leonardtown.
- The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.