**DES MOINES, IOWA -** A lucky Iowa woman is ringing in the new year with a $250,000 windfall, courtesy of a Christmas gift lottery ticket.
According to the Iowa Lottery, the woman purchased the ticket as a gift for her husband, but didn’t check the numbers until after Christmas. The ticket was purchased at a local convenience store in the Des Moines area.
The winning ticket matched all six numbers in the Iowa Lotto drawing held on December 30. The woman claimed her prize at the Iowa Lottery’s headquarters on Wednesday, and was overjoyed to learn she had won $250,000.
“I was so excited, I couldn’t believe it,” the woman said in a statement. “I bought the ticket as a gift for my husband, and I didn’t even think to check the numbers until after Christmas. It’s a wonderful surprise for our family.”
The winning ticket was purchased for $5 and matched the numbers: 11, 13, 18, 21, 31, and 35. The woman opted to take the cash value of the prize, which was $250,000.
The Iowa Lottery said that the ticket was sold at a local convenience store, which will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, plans to use her winnings to pay off debt and save for her family’s future.
“I feel so grateful and blessed,” she said. “This is a wonderful start to the new year, and I’m so thankful to have had the chance to play.”
The Iowa Lottery has sold over $1.3 billion in tickets since its inception in 1986, with over $900 million in prizes awarded to Iowans.
