Teacher’s end-of-year gift turns into half a million dollars
TRENTON, N.J. (Gray News) – A teacher in New Jersey was hoping to win enough money for gas on a scratch-off lottery ticket gifted to her as an end-of-year gift, but ended up with more than she could have asked for.
“I had a stack of cards as gifts, and I had forgotten I left them there,” the player said while claiming their prize at the New Jersey Lottery office. “One morning, I went out to the car and thought that I’d see if I won any gas money.”
The teacher came to a $10 card, The Shore Thing, and scratched off a $500,000 top prize.
“I get them as gifts, but I never imagined. For me, this is life-changing,” the player said.
According to the New Jersey Lottery, thirty cents of every dollar in Lottery sales is contributed to the State pension system, which helps support teachers, along with police, firefighters and other public workers.
Since fiscal year 2018, the Lottery has contributed more than $8 billion to pensions.
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