Williamsburg Woman Wins $26,500 in Iowa Lottery Prizes
Marie Johnson-Fernandez Claims 3 Prizes in Pick 4 Lotto Game
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CLIVE, Iowa - A Williamsburg woman who won $26,500 in Pick 4 prizes said it couldn't have come at a better time.
"I'm retiring at the end of May," Marie Johnson-Fernandez said on Friday as she claimed her prizes at the lottery's Cedar Rapids regional office. "It's perfect timing."
For Friday's midday Pick 4 drawing, Johnson-Fernandez purchased a $3 straight play, where the numbers must match in the exact order drawn. She also bought two box plays - a $5 and a 50-cent - which win if the numbers match in any order. She won prizes on all three.
Johnson-Fernandez, who works for the Williamsburg Community School District, was on her lunch break Friday when she decided to check the winning numbers. She instantly recognized her lucky combination, but wasn't sure how much she'd won.
"I scanned down and saw the numbers 5-0-0-0, and I was like, 'Yes!'" she said. "I knew for a fact I had it, I just didn't know for how much."
Johnson-Fernandez rushed to her car to check her tickets. She won $18,000 on her straight play, $7,500 on one box play and $750 on the other for $26,500 in total winnings. She purchased her tickets at Casey's, 130 W. Evans St. in Williamsburg.
After realizing her good fortune, Johnson-Fernandez made plans to leave work early to drive to Cedar Rapids and claim her prizes. She said she'll set aside part of her winnings for retirement and use some for a trip next month to Washington, D.C., where her family will gather for a reunion and to celebrate her granddaughter's college graduation.
A regular commenter on the Iowa Lottery's Facebook page, Johnson-Fernandez made a habit of regularly congratulating other winners. Now, it was her turn.
"Every time I comment on a post you share after a winner, I always say, 'My time is coming! I'm patient,'" she said with a laugh.
Pick 4, which has been offered in Iowa since September 2003, features odds of just 1 in 10,000 of winning the game's $30,000 top prize. It offers a variety of play options and wagers from 50 cents to $5 for the chance to match a four-digit number combination from 0000 to 9999.
For more information about Pick 4, visit ialottery.com.
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