A pair of Sweet Home newlyweds say they are having a hard time believing they won $100,000 on an Oregon Lottery Scratch-it.
“We were hanging out and decided that we wanted to get out of the house,” said Marisa Luebs, who purchased the ticket at U.S. Mini Mart in Sweet Home with her husband, Charles.
“So we decided to buy some Scratch-its and see if we could win.”
The couple said they never purchase Scratch-its more than $5, but they were feeling adventurous and decided to try the $10 Scratch-its. The first one they played, they won $100,000.
“We were sitting in the car and I just kept scratching it; I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “At some point I ran out of stuff to scratch on the ticket and we took it inside.
“The machine made noise and the lady at the store almost didn’t know what was going on. She did tell us to sign the ticket immediately.”
Rajwant Kaur was the clerk who sold the ticket to the couple. After they left the store, “they came back asking to check (the ticket),” she said. “The machine said, ‘Big Winner,” and they left.
“I’m so happy.”
U.S. Mini Mart in Sweet Home will receive a $1,000 selling bonus for selling the winning ticket, according to Lottery officials.
So far this year players who live in Sweet Home have won more than $133,000 playing Oregon Lottery games.
Lottery officials recommend that people who play Oregon Lottery games always sign their tickets to ensure they can claim any prize they may win. The Lottery also recommends that, in the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.
The newlyweds, who recently moved to Sweet Home, indicated they’re planning to use the money in a way that will benefit them in the long run.
“We put the money in the bank, and we want to be very smart with it because this is a great opportunity for us,” said Marisa, who works at a credit union.
“We are looking to buy a house, and eventually start a family. We will use most of it for the house, but will probably get a better car. We want to make sure we save a lot of it to have a good future in front of us.”
According to the Lottery, during the 2015-17 biennium in Linn County more than $42.1 million in Oregon Lottery proceeds were directed to economic development, parks, education and watershed enhancement. Projects included water treatment plant upgrades in Lebanon and the Sweet Home School District received more than $1.7 million in Oregon Lottery proceeds.
Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $11 billion for economic development, public education, state parks and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit http://www.oregonlottery.org