**MIRACLE IN THE TRASH: $80,000 LOTTERY TICKET RESCUED FROM THE BRINK OF DISASTER**
In a stunning turn of events, a California man has learned a valuable lesson about holding onto his lottery tickets after a staggering $80,000 windfall was nearly tossed into the trash.
John Lee, 32, of San Francisco, had purchased a winning ticket for the California SuperLotto Plus game on February 11. However, in the chaos of his daily routine, he had carelessly discarded the ticket, only to have it narrowly escape the clutches of his garbage collector.
“I was getting ready for work and just tossed it in the trash without thinking,” Lee said in an interview. “I was about to take out the garbage when my wife stopped me and said, ‘Wait, did you check your tickets?’ I rushed back inside and started digging through the trash, and there it was, crumpled up and almost gone.”
Lee’s wife, Sarah, had been checking the lottery numbers online and had noticed that one of the tickets purchased that day matched the winning numbers. “I told John, ‘You have to check your tickets!’ and he just looked at me with a mix of panic and hope,” she recalled.
Miraculously, Lee managed to flatten the ticket and verify that it was, in fact, the winning ticket. The prize of $80,000 was awarded to Lee, who was overjoyed and relieved.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Lee exclaimed. “I was literally about to throw away $80,000. It’s a miracle I caught it in time.”
The winning ticket was purchased at a local convenience store in San Francisco. Lee plans to use the prize money to pay off debts and invest in his future.
As for the discarded ticket, Lee has vowed to never take his luck for granted again. “It’s a reminder to always double-check and appreciate the little things in life,” he said with a chuckle. “Who knows, it could have been $350 million!”
The odds of winning the SuperLotto Plus jackpot are approximately 1 in 42,857,142. Lee’s win serves as a heartwarming reminder to always stay vigilant and appreciate the unexpected twists of fate.
**CORRECTION:** An earlier version of this article stated that the winning ticket was purchased for $5. The actual cost of the ticket was not disclosed.
