$50,000 WIN MAKES HENRY COUNTY WOMAN'S
WISHES COME TRUE

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Connie Krieger Wins Top Prize Playing the "Black Pearls" Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa – After talking with her husband about wishes for a break at work, a Henry County woman's wish came true.

Connie Krieger, 57, from Salem, said she told her husband Allen she wished they had some extra money so she could take a break from work and the next day she won the top prize of $50,000 playing the "Black Pearls" scratch game.

"It was on the way to get my hair done. We had two $5 winners and that one that was $50,000," Krieger said. "They were really happy for us. I gave my hairdresser a $50 tip because if I hadn't gone to get my hair done that day, I never would've stopped and picked up one!"

Allen was with Krieger when she discovered the win.

"He just couldn't believe it. He still doesn't believe it. I think he's kind of in denial," Krieger laughed.

Krieger, who currently works for West Liberty Foods in Mount Pleasant, said she's looking forward to being able to take a couple of days off from work.

"At my age doing the job I'm doing it's difficult. We were just talking about it and then this happened! Now it'll be a little easier," she said.

Krieger said she was waiting until she had proof before telling her family and friends about the win to make sure they'd believe her.

Krieger said she plans to use some of her winnings to secure a financial future for her children.

"I've always been better at giving than I am receiving, so I just want to share the wealth with my kids," she said.

Krieger claimed her prize Monday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids. She purchased her winning ticket at Dickey's Prairie Home, 309 W. Washington in Mount Pleasant.

Black Pearls is a $5 scratch game. Players try to win a prize by matching any of "Your Numbers" to any "Winning Numbers" to win the prize shown for that number. If players find the "2X" symbol, they win double the prize amount shown. Players who find the "5X" symbol win five times the prize amount shown for that symbol.

Ten top prizes of $50,000 are still up for grabs in Black pearls, as well as 31 prizes of $5,000, more than 190 prizes of $500 and more than 100 prizes of $100.

Since the Iowa Lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.4 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion for state programs.