Ky. woman wins $200K on first day of retirement after working on front lines of pandemic

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - A Kentucky woman, who had worked as a front-line nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, won big in the Kentucky Lottery, and it happened on the first day of her retirement.

According to Kentucky Lottery officials, the Floyd County woman recently decided to retire after 36 years on the job. Just hours into her first day of retirement, she won $200,000 on a Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off ticket.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought a $10 Tree-Mendous Winnings Scratch-off ticket at the Double Kwik on Franklin Corner North in Prestonsburg.

While at the store, she scratched off the ticket and discovered she’d matched the number 20 on the last row. She then scratched off the prize amount below the number, revealing the game’s $200,000 top prize.

“It was unbelievable,” she said. “I had just retired that day. I saw this as a sign it was meant to be for me to quit working.”

She drove to lottery headquarters in Louisville last week where she received a check for $142,000 after taxes.

“I can do this,” she said, reassuring herself of her decision to retire.

The winner had worked as a nurse for 36 years including the last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been tough,” she told officials.

Prestonsburg Double Kwik will receive a bonus of $2,000 for selling the winning ticket.

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