SILVER SPRING, MD — Senora Smallwood of Silver Spring is a regular player of scratch-off games from the Maryland Lottery. But, when she finally bought a scratch-off ticket with a top prize, she had to text a photo of it to her sister to confirm that it was a winner.
“I know it could not have won $100,000. I must have read that wrong,” Smallwood told officials at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore recently.
It all started out when Smallwood bought a stack of instant tickets at the Wheaton Exxon, which is located at 11310 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring.
As Smallwood walked back to her car, she began to scratch off tickets. That’s when she discovered the winning $100,000 Extreme Cash instant ticket she purchased for $30. That couldn’t be a winner, she told herself as the drove off.
But, a short time later, Smallwood pulled her car to the side of the road and looked at the ticket a second time. That’s when she texted a picture to her sister and asked, “Tell me that is not a $100,000 winner?”
Smallwood’s sister confirmed that it was a winner and the pair visited lottery headquarters this week to retrieve the $100,000 prize.
“I am grateful and happy. If anyone deserves this, it is her,” Smallwood’s sister said.
Smallwood told lottery officials that she’s been playing scratch-off for 20 years and even won $5,000 in cash once. The 61-year-old woman plans to use her winnings to help her granddaughter finance her higher education.
“I am dedicated to help get my granddaughter through college,” she said.
For selling the winning $100,000 Extreme Cash ticket, the Wheaton Exxon will receive a $1,000 bonus. The retailer also sold a winning $20,000 Mega Millions ticket to another Silver Spring resident on Nov. 4.
