Davenport Man Scores $10,000 Prize Thanks to Lucky Mistake
Jeff Ruge Claims Big Prize in 'Beat the Heat' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa - A quick stop to buy his usual Pick 3 tickets turned into a $10,000 surprise for a Davenport man — thanks to a simple case of forgetfulness.
Jeff Ruge, 56, won a big prize in the "Beat the Heat" scratch game. He purchased his winning ticket at Ridhi Rose Mart, 3417 N. Harrison St. in Davenport, where he stopped to pick up some Pick 3 tickets he'd forgotten to buy earlier. That's when Ruge spotted the "Beat the Heat" game and decided to grab a ticket.
He scratched it when he got home and had to do a double-take.
"I looked at it. I didn't have my glasses on, then I looked at it again and I saw an extra zero," he said. "I just kind of yelled a little bit."
Ruge, a union carpenter, said he plans to put his winnings toward paying bills and buying a new TV. He added that he is grateful for the twist of fate that led to his lucky win.
"If I hadn't forgotten my Pick 3 (tickets), I wouldn't have won," he said.
Beat the Heat is a $10 scratch game that features six top prizes of $100,000, 26 prizes of $10,000 and overall odds of 1 in 3.16. For more information about this game, and the number of prizes still available, visit ialottery.com.
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