Algona Woman Looks Forward To Trip To See Family After $30,000 Lottery Win
Samantha Poulson Claims Top Prize in '$30,000 Crossword' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa — For one lucky Algona woman, a $30,000 lottery win means more than just money — it will bring about a long-awaited family reunion.
"That's the first thing I'll be able to do: I'll be able to go see my family in New Hampshire," Samantha Poulson said on Monday as she claimed her prize at the lottery's Mason City regional office.
Poulson, 34, won the 69th top prize in the Iowa Lottery's "$30,000 Crossword" scratch game. She bought her winning ticket at One Stop Shop, 220 S. Phillips St. in Algona.
In the $30,000 Crossword game, players try to complete words with a given set of letters. Poulson, who works at another gas station in town, noticed she had completed more words than usual on her ticket, but she was stunned when she scanned it with the Iowa Lottery mobile app and discovered the size of her prize.
"I knew I had won something, but I didn't think I won that much," she said. "I'm still in shock."
Poulson, who has called Iowa home for the past 15 years, said she's eager to visit her family in the northeast for the first time in eight years.
The $30,000 Crossword game is a $3 scratch game that features 151 top prizes of $30,000 and overall odds of 1 in 3.52. For more information about this game, and the number of prizes still available, visit www.ialottery.com.
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