It Happened Again: Fourth Person From Waterloo Wins 'Tree-Mendous Crossword' Top Prize
Lisa Moore Claims $30,000 Top Prize
To download image, right click on image, then navigate to 'Save Picture As' to save this file to your computer.
CLIVE, Iowa — Waterloo has done it again! For the fourth time, someone from that city has won a $30,000 top prize in the "Tree-Mendous Crossword" scratch game.
"It's the luck of the draw," said Lisa Moore, the latest Waterloo winner.
Moore purchased her winning ticket at Ray's Supermarket, 1975 Franklin St. in Waterloo. She claimed her prize Tuesday at the lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.
Moore, 53, said she will use her winnings to buy a new vehicle and take her daughter on vacation. She's a registered nurse and can now afford to take the state board exam and become certified to work in Iowa. Moore said she hopes to become a travel nurse.
"My kids are grown and out of the house. It's just me and my dog and my fiancé so why not do some traveling?" she said.
Moore said she chose to buy the Tree-Mendous Crossword scratch game because she enjoys finding the words, but was also aware of her city's winning streak with the ticket. Previous winners from Waterloo include:
- Alix Theel, who bought her ticket at Kwik Star, 1717 E. San Marnan Drive in Waterloo, and claimed her prize on Dec. 23.
- Nicole Russell, who bought her ticket at Kwik Star, 7500 Nordic Drive in Cedar Falls, and claimed her prize on Dec. 19.
- Jolene Wilder, who bought her ticket at Hy-Vee, 2834 Ansborough Ave. in Waterloo, and claimed her prize on Oct. 25.
So what's up with Waterloo? Four winners from the same city is just a coincidence. People there have simply gotten lucky. Winning tickets are randomly distributed, so not even the lottery knows where the next one will hit.
Three other Iowans have won a Tree-Mendous Crossword top prize, including Brenda Grant of Burlington, Danielle Smith of Fort Dodge and Deborah Sumpter of Davenport.
There are now nine top prizes remaining. Tree-Mendous Crossword is a $3 scratch game with overall odds of 1 in 3.52.
From now until 9:59 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2025, players can enter nonwinning Tree-Mendous Crossword tickets, as well as tickets from eight other holiday-themed games, into a promotion for a chance to win a share of $1.1 million in cash prizes. For more information, visit www.ialottery.com.
Return to top↑