A Maryland woman thought she was opening a birthday card until her son revealed she had actually won $50,030 in the lottery.
BALTIMORE, Md. — An Anne Arundel County woman’s birthday celebration turned into a $50,030 lottery celebration after her son kept her winning ticket a secret for weeks before surprising her.
The winning Bonus Match 5 ticket was purchased in May after the woman selected a set of numbers she said “just felt right” and asked her son to buy tickets for her at the Giant store on Crain Highway in Glen Burnie.
When he checked the tickets the next day, he discovered his mother had matched all five winning numbers to claim the game’s $50,000 top prize. Two additional winning lines added another $30, bringing the total prize to $50,030.
Rather than telling her immediately, he decided to wait until her birthday in June.
“I sat there looking at that ticket and knew right away I was going to surprise her on her birthday,” he told Maryland Lottery officials.
Inside a birthday card, he wrote a simple message: “You won $50,000.”
The winner said she was stunned when she opened the card.
“I tried to keep calm, because of health reasons, but I was so excited,” she said. “I didn’t want to do cartwheels and stuff.”
Calling her son the family’s “ticket keeper and security guard,” she had him safeguard the winning ticket until she claimed the prize.
The retired retail associate said she plans to use the winnings to purchase a new car.
The winning ticket was sold at the Giant store located at 7940 Crain Highway in Glen Burnie. The retailer will receive a $500 bonus for selling the top-prize-winning Bonus Match 5 ticket.
Key Points
- An Anne Arundel County woman won $50,030 playing Maryland Lottery Bonus Match 5.
- Her son kept the winning ticket secret for weeks before revealing it in a birthday card.
- The winner plans to use the prize money to buy a new car.
