A last-minute gift turned into a big lottery win for a Chicago suburban family – and now they plan to use the winnings to fulfill a long-held dream.
The winning ticket, valued at $1 million, was sold in the southern suburb of Monee, at Monee Tobacco on West Monee Manhattan Road.
The unidentified winner said her husband bought the winning ticket for $25 as a gift for her.
“My husband was on his way home from work and was so tired that day that he didn’t want to stop at the store,” she said in a statement. “He knows I like crosswords and puzzles in general, so he bought me a $25 Diamond Crossword lottery scratch-off ticket.”
The couple said they only later told their children about their million-dollar win and admitted they were in shock.
And what the two plan to do with the prize: They want to fulfill a long-held dream.
“I’ve always dreamed of buying a home. It would be amazing to finally be able to say, ‘We own this house,'” the winner told the Illinois Lottery. “After we take care of a few other necessary purchases, choosing the perfect home for our family will be our top priority.”
Monee Tobacco, where the winning ticket was purchased, will also receive a sales bonus of one percent of the winning amount, or $10,000.
