Iowa Lottery

Cedar Rapids Woman Wins First Top Prize In "MONOPOLY™" Scratch Game

Cara Solem Wins $50,000 Prize Playing MONOPOLY™ Scratch Ticket

  Hear Cara tell her story.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - A stop for coffee led to a Cedar Rapids woman winning a $50,000 prize after she decided to add a lottery instant-scratch ticket to her beverage purchase.

Cara Solem, 27, said she and a friend like to play scratch games together every once in a while. She said she usually plays "Crossword" or "Bingo," but wanted to try something different, so this time, she bought a "MONOPOLY" ticket. She was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

"We'll pick one ticket up here and there. We scratched it and we hugged!" Solem said.

Solem said she had her ticket validated right after scratching it so the clerk at the store where she bought it, the Hawkeye Convenience Store at 250 16th Ave. S.W. in Cedar Rapids, could share in her joy.

"It was fun; she got to celebrate too," Solem said.

Solem said the first person she told about the big win was her manager at Yellowbook, where Solem works in customer service.

"I said, 'I'm not coming into work,'" Solem said with a laugh. "She wanted to know why and then she said, 'Take the whole day!'"

Solem claimed her prize July 26 at the lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids, the same day she purchased her ticket.

"Just stopped in to get my hot coffee," Solem said.

Solem said she hadn't told anyone else about her win because she wanted to make sure it was real first. She said she hadn't made any plans for her winnings.

Players can also Play It Again™ if they don't win on their MONOPOLY scratch tickets. Enter non-winning MONOPOLY™ tickets in the Lottery's VIP Club between now and noon on Sept. 6 for a chance to win one of eight exciting getaway prize packages in the "Great Iowa Getaway" promotion.

The Great Iowa Getaway cities include: Boone/Ames, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Dubuque, Mason City, Moravia, Okoboji and Storm Lake. Visit ialottery.com for complete details and rules.

Players who enter their non-winning MONOPOLY tickets in the VIP Club will also receive Points For Prizes™ points just like they do on any other eligible non-winning Iowa Lottery instant-scratch ticket. They can then use those points to pick out prizes in the online store.

The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the gameboard, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment. © 1935, 2011 Hasbro. All rights reserved.