Iowa Lottery

Cedar Rapids Couple Wins $25,000 Lottery Prize

Amanda and Derek Hilgendorf Win Top Prize Playing the "Lucky Jar Bingo" Scratch Game

  Hear their story.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - An impromptu errand run led to a very happy night for one Cedar Rapids couple.

Amanda Hilgendorf, 27, said her husband, Derek, ran to a local convenience store at the last minute to pick up a few things and came home with a "Lucky Jar Bingo" instant-scratch ticket. Neither of them dreamed it would be a $25,000 top prize winner.

"My son went with him and picked out the ticket and my husband bought it," Hilgendorf said. "I scratched it and thought it was $25 at first."

Hilgendorf said she was initially excited to have won $25, but was much more ecstatic when she realized what they had really won.

"As we were looking at it we realized it was $25,000!" she said. "I think we checked it about fifteen times and then we took it to Casey's to make sure."

Hilgendorf and Derek took the ticket back to Casey's, 20 Miller Ave. S.W. in Cedar Rapids where Derek had purchased it to have it validated.

"[My son] is six and is ready to go shopping," Hilgendorf said with a laugh as they claimed their prize Monday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.

Hilgendorf, who is currently planning to open an in-home daycare, said they plan to use some of the winnings to pay bills.

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