Earlham Woman Surprised By $30,000 Lottery Win
Staci Crees Claims Big Prize In '$300,000 Platinum Cash' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa — An Earlham woman said she wasn't sure why she bought a "$300,000 Platinum Cash" scratch ticket, but she was glad she did after winning a $30,000 prize.
"I don't know, it just looked good — and it was good!" Staci Crees, 49, told officials on Monday as she claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Clive.
Crees and her husband, Jeff, bought a couple tickets at Casey's, 527 W. Summit St. in Winterset, and they both scratched one off when they got home.
"I scratched it and had all these winners. And then when it said $2,000 on each winner, I was pretty excited," she said.
She said they'd driven by the lottery office a week ago, daydreaming about a big payday.
"It was funny because last week we were driving by the office here and (Jeff) said, 'Boy, I'd like to make a stop there,' and look! A week later!" she said with a laugh.
Crees claimed the 32nd of 42 prizes of $30,000 in the game. She and her husband plan to use the winnings to save for vacation and help pay for their children's college tuition.
The $300,000 Platinum Cash scratch game is a $30 game that features eight top prizes of $300,000 and overall odds of 1 in 2.39 For more information about this game, and the number of prizes still available, visit www.ialottery.com.
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