Kentucky Lottery win to help woman visit her sister

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington resident Donna Hoover has not seen her sister in years, however, a recent Kentucky Lottery win is changing that.

Lottery officials say Hoover recently won $50,000 on the $5 Lucky Horseshoe Crossword.

“I haven’t seen my sister in Tennessee in six years. In this economy, I haven’t been able to buy a car, and my current car won’t make it down there,” Hoover said. “I plan to buy a car so I can go see her.”

Hoover said she borrowed a family member’s car recently to drive to Kentucky Lottery Headquarters in Louisville to claim her winnings from her scratch-off win, $36,000 after taxes.

Hoover rarely purchases lottery games, however, her husband enjoys playing crossword scratch-offs, so she bought one at Clark’s Pump-N-Shop at 313 West New Circle Road in Lexington.

“I was eating breakfast when I scratched the ticket, thinking the entire time it wasn’t going to be a winner because I never win,” she said. “I started counting and I had 10 words, and I was like ‘no way.’ I looked at the back of the ticket, and I counted again, and I had 10 words, and I looked at the back of the ticket again. I finally realized it was a winner.”

Revealing 10 words on the crossword earns a player the top prize of $50,000.

Hoover called her husband, who didn’t believe her at first, according to lottery officials.

Hoover said she had not told her sister that she was coming to visit her.

“I may not. I may just go,” she said emotionally.

Clark’s Pump-N-Shop will receive $500 for selling the winning ticket.