Howard County School Employee Rejoicing After Winning $50K On A Lotto Ticket

COLUMBIA, MD — A Howard County Public School System employee who regularly plays the lottery almost left the grocery store without her regular lottery ticket purchase. The store clerk reminded her and she's glad he did, because she ended up winning $50,000 off a Mosaic Money scratch-off ticket.

The Columbia resident had popped into the Quick Stop Food Mart for a few groceries and to purchase her favorite terminal games. But she forgot to buy her scratch-off tickets.

“He said, ‘you forgot to get your scratch-offs’,” she told Maryland Lottery officials when she was claiming her prize. “So, I turned around and bought a variety of $5 tickets at the vending machine.”

The school employee began scratching the QR codes on her tickets and scanning them while still in the store. She froze when she scanned the very last ticket.

“I had given up hope at that point and then the message said to take it to the Lottery,” she said. “The cashier confirmed it was a $50,000 winner and we all screamed.”

She gathered herself, went into work and later locked her ticket up in a safe at home. She claimed the $50,000 prize at lottery headquarters this summer and told lottery officials she plans to invest her winnings, help out family members and use some to support a great-grandchild.

The Quick Stop Food Mart at 10750 Hickory Ridge Road in Columbia will receive a $500 bonus for selling a winning $50,000 top-prize scratch-off. The $5 Mosaic Money scratch-off debuted in March of this year. Five of the ticket’s eight $50,000 top prizes are still available. There are five $5,000 prizes remaining and thousands of prizes ranging from $5 to $1,000 still up for grabs.