Friday, March 14, 2014

Lotto Player Attributes Big Win to Her Sports Jersey

A school administrator from Cook County, who won $2 million on an Illinois Lottery scratch-off ticket, picked up her check on Tuesday and told lottery officials she couldn't have done it without her old sports jersey.

Monique Abbate, 39, bought her winning “$2,000,000 Extravaganza” ticket from Convenience Food and Liquor on Harlem Ave., in Forest View, and only chose that particular ticket because it was housed in a bin marked "10"—the same number as her old softball jersey.

When she returned to her car Abbate scratched off her ticket and then rushed home to share the news with her grandmother.

"I started screaming," Abbate admitted. "I couldn’t believe it."

She now plans to use her winnings to pay off her student loans and is already planning a celebratory trip to Las Vegas.