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A big surprise came to a woman in the small city of Brier after discovering she had won the $12.2 million Washington Lottery jackpot. The woman and her husband — who wished to remain anonymous — came forward Friday with the winning ticket.
“We’re shocked, this is an unbelievable experience,” the woman said in a press release
According to a Washington Lottery press release, this is the largest the jackpot has reached in a decade.
After hearing the winning numbers announced on July 3, the woman said she woke her husband to double check the ticket numbers for her. The winning ticket was purchased at Brier Grocery, located at 23607 Brier Road. The family-owned store will receive a 1% selling bonus from the winnings, which amounts to $122,000.
Brier Grocery began selling lottery tickets as a way of connecting with the community after learning there was a demand for them, a store employee said
“Being a community store in a small town, we like to take requests from our neighbors,” the employee said. “We enjoy connecting with our customers about which scratch tickets they like to play and why.”
The winner picked up her ticket from Brier Grocery on the day the winning numbers were announced. Then she went home and heard the numbers — 05-12-13-27-34-49.
“We know the store owner, and they told my husband his luck is different from my luck,” the woman said. “My husband said, ‘it’s better that you get it, so if you are destined to win, then it’s you and not me, I’m just going to ruin it for you.’”
However, the winner did not immediately claim her prize. After a celebratory breakfast and seeking financial advice, she said she heard on the news that the winner had not yet come forward.
“We said, ‘Oh my God, they’re talking about us,’” the woman said.
According to the press release, the couple lives by modest means and does not have any big plans for their winnings. However, they may be purchasing a new car soon, as the winner said her current car is more than 20 years old.
“That’s the only splurge we’ll do,” she said. “We’re very simple people, my husband and I always tease one another saying, ‘You’ll win one of these days.’ It finally happened.”
–Story by Cody Sexton
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