Had Joseph Washington known that he was carrying around a Mega Millions ticket worth a quarter of a million dollars, the Pacific man probably would have cashed it in sooner.
On Monday, a week after he bought the winning ticket, Washington claimed his $250,000 at the Lottery’s regional office in Federal Way.
On his way out with friends, Washington grabbed the six one-dollar tickets he’d bought last week, planning to stop somewhere to check if he’d won anything. The first five tickets were not winners, but when he scanned his last ticket, he was instructed to “Check with Retailer.”
Assuming his prize was minimal, Washington decided to use his winnings to take another shot at the jackpot.
“I didn’t think that I had won more than a few bucks,” he said. “I handed the ticket to the clerk and asked how many tickets I could buy with the winnings.”
When the cashier told him he was a quarter of a million dollars richer, all he could say was, “Get out of town!”
Washington is the proud grandfather of 13 grandchildren and plans on giving a portion of his winnings to them. He also has a few plans for himself, including paying off some bills and taking a trip to tropical Montego Bay.
“I’m from the East Coast, so I prefer the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean,” he said. “It’s nice to know that I can now do some of the things I have always wanted to do.”
Washington bought his winning Mega Millions ticket at Albertsons on A Street Southeast in Auburn. For selling the winning ticket, the store will receive a $2,500 retail selling bonus.
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WASHINGTON’S LOTTERY: Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $2.5 billion to important state programs, including education construction, stadium debt reduction, economic development and problem gambling prevention and treatment. In FY ’09 Washington’s Lottery contributed more than $115 million to state programs. Washington’s Lottery is deeply committed to making sure every Lottery dollar counts when it comes to supporting vital state programs. Washington’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games: Mega Millions, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, The Daily Game, Daily Keno, and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com.
