A last-minute change of plans, thanks to a newly adopted kitten, turned into a $100,000 Thanksgiving jackpot for a man in Bardstown, Ky.
He shared his story anonymously with Kentucky Lottery officials.
Visiting family in Ohio for the holiday seemed like a daunting task with his new adoption. “There was going to be a couple of dogs and a baby there,” the winner explained. “So, I ended up staying in town just to deal with the kitten, and I could always go up to Columbus another time.”
The decision to stay home proved profitable. The schedule change led to a quick, unplanned trip to Kroger on West John Rowan Blvd. in Bardstown. Even without a full Thanksgiving meal around family, the winner wasn’t going to miss dessert.
“I stop by the grocery store to pick up a pie,” he explained. But buying the $5 Merry Multiplier Scratch-off was an impulse decision. The man says he hasn’t played the lottery in years. “On the way out, I was like, ‘Hmm, why not?’”
“I came home, scratched it off, and won a hundred thousand dollars.”
The man matched the number 10 on the last row on his ticket to win the game’s top prize.
The win came as a massive surprise. Initially, he believed the prize was much smaller. “I thought it was a hundred dollars at first, and then I went to the bonuses, and I realized it was a comma and not a period.”
“I scratched it off and was like, ‘Am I reading this right?’” he recalled. “I was hoping to win five bucks.”
The biggest reaction came from his original holiday destination in Ohio. “I texted my family and they’re like, ‘We’re glad you didn't come!’” he shared with a smile.
As a student, he plans to keep his composure before spending the windfall, noting the temptation to buy before the holidays. “Okay, I got some money now, it’s Black Friday, I just won the lottery… It's kind of bad combination!” he laughed.
After state and federal taxes, the winner collected $72,000.
