A 72-year-old man who plans to get married this season got one big spring awakening when he found a forgotten lottery ticket in his wallet.
Bill Brady said he was at a gas station when he opened his wallet and noticed his Lucky Day Lotto ticket. He checked the ticket using the Lottery self-service scanner and when the message “file a claim” appeared on the screen, he brought it to the clerk to double-deck it.
That’s when Brady found out he had won $200,000.
“I was so surprised when she said I won $200,000, and it still hasn’t really sunk in,” he told the Illinois lottery. “I bought this ticket a month ago and forgot all about it.”
His Quick Pick ticket matched all five numbers – 11, 15,37, 41, 43—to win a jackpot prize in the Feb. 24 drawing.
Brady, who has lived in West Chicago for 65 years, said he plans to use his winning to pay for his wedding this spring. He also plans to invest.
The winning ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven, 1500 Illinois Route 59 in Bartlett.
