Beginner's Luck: Cedar Rapids Man Wins $300,000 Lottery Prize
Cody Heaberlin claims top prize in 'Colossal Crossword' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa – A Cedar Rapids man rode a hot streak to a $300,000 lottery prize.
Cody Heaberlin said he started playing the "Colossal Crossword" scratch game a couple weeks ago and won small prizes on his first three tickets. He hit the game's top prize on his fourth try at odds of 1 in 125,911, claiming the second of eight top prizes of $300,000.
"Originally I thought I had just won $10,000," said Heaberlin, who bought his winning ticket at Casey's, 3625 Edgewood Road SW in Cedar Rapids. "I took it down to the gas station and the lady behind the counter says, 'You won a lot more than you thought.' I thought she was messing with me at first.
"I'm not really sure how to act just yet," he added. "It was a complete shock."
Heaberlin, 29, claimed his prize on May 10 at lottery headquarters in Clive. He and his wife, Lili, plan to retire debt and start college funds for their two children.
"We just bought a house recently, so a big chunk of it's going to go toward paying the house off right away," Heaberlin said.
Colossal Crossword is the Iowa Lottery's second-ever $30 scratch game. More details about how to play this game, and the number of prizes still up for grabs in it, can be found on the Iowa Lottery's website, www.ialottery.com.
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