Community Corner
NJ Teacher Finds $500K Winning Lottery Ticket Among End-Of-Year Gifts
According to reports, the ticket was sold at a gas station in Berkeley, Ocean County.
MERCER COUNTY, NJ – A New Jersey teacher's summer break took an extraordinary turn when they discovered a $500,000 winning lottery ticket among end-of-year gifts from grateful parents.
The educator had received several scratch-off tickets as thank-you presents when the school year concluded in late June, alongside the usual tokens of appreciation like gift cards, coffee mugs, and scented candles.
But unlike those other gifts, the lottery tickets were forgotten in a stack inside the teacher's car.
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Weeks into summer vacation, the teacher finally remembered the overlooked presents during a routine morning trip to their vehicle.
"I had a stack of cards as gifts, and I had forgotten I left them there," the winner explained while claiming their prize at the New Jersey Lottery office in Mercer County. "One morning, I went out to the car and thought that I'd see if I won any gas money."
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What they found was far more than gas money. After scratching off two tickets, the teacher played a $10 "Shore Thing" card and quickly realized they were holding the game's first $500,000 top prize – one of three available.
The winner acknowledged the risk of leaving the tickets unattended. "It probably wasn't smart of me (to leave the tickets in the car). I've been driving around with my puppy. He could've eaten them."
The victory carries special significance given the teacher's profession. Thirty cents of every lottery dollar supports New Jersey's state pension system, which benefits teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public workers. Since fiscal year 2018, the lottery has contributed more than $8 billion to pensions.
"I get them as gifts, but I never imagined. For me this is life changing," the teacher said.
The teacher or school district has not been identified. But according to NJ.com, the ticket was purchased at Gurdev Gas on Atlantic City Boulevard (Route 9) in Berkeley, Ocean County.
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