Lexington County man turned quarters found in his car into lottery jackpot
Finding $5 in a car would qualify as a good day for most.
That was just the tip of the iceberg for a Lexington County man, who turned that profit into a six-figure jackpot, the South Carolina Education Lottery said in a news release.
The Chapin resident used the found money to buy a scratch-off lottery game that netted him the $250,000 top prize, according to the release.
The man was not publicly identified because South Carolina is one of just a few states — along with Delaware, Kansas, Georgia, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous.
But he told S.C. Lottery officials his windfall got started by finding $5 in quarters while vacuuming out his car.
He decided to put that loose change toward the purchase of a lottery ticket at the Publix Super Market in Chapin, according to the release.
He even had some change left over to scratch off the Maximum Money ticket, S.C. Lottery officials said.
When the man asked a clerk to scan the ticket, he told officials he was surprised at being told to go to the Lottery’s Claims Center, asking “Are you sure?”
The man and his wife made the 20-plus mile drive to Columbia, and still had a little change to feed the meter when they went inside, according to the release.
That’s when they discovered they’d have money to pay all the parking meters for a long time.
“Tell me that again, so I can make sure it’s real,” the shocked Chapin man said in the release. “I can’t believe this.”
Rather than provide free parking, the Lexington County couple told S.C. Lottery officials they intend to use their winnings to pay off some debts, take care of their family, and “do something fun.”
The man overcame 1-in-780,000 odds to win the scratch-off game jackpot, S.C. Lottery officials said.
For selling the winning ticket the Chapin Publix will get a $2,500 commission, according to the release.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Lexington County man turned quarters found in his car into lottery jackpot."
