Man buys $5 lottery ticket in IL. What he won ‘dramatically reshaped’ future
A couple’s world has been turned upside down in the best way possible after buying a $5 lottery ticket in Illinois.
What started out as a routine stop at a gas station to pick up a lottery ticket turned into one of the best days of David Sharp’s alife alottery officials said in a Sept. 25 news release.
“I’m always drawn to the games with bigger prizes, especially the ones with multipliers. That’s what caught my eye with Cash Grab,” the winner, a Mt. Carmel resident, said. “I scratched it in my truck and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
Sharp had to confirm what was a $1 million win with the gas station clerk.
“I was in shock. I just stood there thinking, ‘No way this is real,’” he said. “I had to double-check it to be sure.”
The Illinois Lottery noted that the win “dramatically reshaped the future” of the man and his wife, Angie, a grade school cafeteria worker of 25 years.
“I told her, ‘You’re not going to believe this — we won a million dollars!’” Sharp said. “She’s never missed a day of work. This means she can finally retire sooner than we thought.”
The couple plans to use their winnings to buy a new truck and take a trip to an aquarium, officials said.
“I’m just grateful,” he said. “It’s a blessing for both of us.”
Mt. Carmel is about a 150-mile drive southeast from St. Louis, Missouri.