For one Chehalis woman, the mistake of purchasing a Lotto ticket has changed her life forever.
On July 18, the woman thought she purchased a Mega Millions ticket from Interstate Chevron Food Mart, located at 119 Interstate Ave. in Chehalis. When she checked the ticket on July 21, she realized she mistakenly bought a Lotto ticket instead.
“I went to check the Mega Millions numbers online, but looked at my ticket and saw it read L-O-T-T-O. I decided to check it anyway,” she said in a press release.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, told Washington’s Lottery officials that nothing could prepare her for the winning amount she saw.
“I saw $4.5 million, and thought I entered the wrong number,” she said. “My husband was with me, and he didn’t believe it either. It was honestly like feeling every emotion at the same time.”
After realizing she indeed had a winning ticket, she stored it in a safe place.
“Our dogs like to chew on paper — he ate a check one time,” the winner said. “We thought of that immediately and kept the ticket in our room with us, up high on a shelf.”
The state’s newest millionaires have already brainstormed a few ways to spend their winnings and have updated their bucket list to include opportunities they never thought were possible.
They first plan to take the vacation of their dreams and travel the nation, starting with Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. Afterward, the winner plans to go back to school to earn her dream job of a medical field technologist.
Not only did the couple benefit from the jackpot, but Interstate Chevron Food Mart, the retailer that sold the winning ticket, will receive a $45,000 selling bonus.
Proceeds from the state’s Lottery benefit the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account, which provides grants to college students throughout the state.
To learn more about Washington’s Lottery, its beneficiaries and to review up-to-date winning numbers, visit www.walottery.com.
