Iowa Lottery

Couple Discovers $30,000 Holiday Surprise

Luke Heitkamp Wins Top Prize Playing the "Holiday Crossword" Scratch Game

  Hear Luke tell his story.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - An East Dubuque, Ill. man and his wife discovered they had won a top prize of $30,000 playing the lottery's "Holiday Crossword" instant-scratch game on Christmas Eve.

Luke Heitkamp, 24, said his wife, Jocelyn, likes to play scratch games together and they happened to be scratching a few on Christmas Eve when Jocelyn discovered something big.

"She called me over and said, 'I think I won $3,000.' And I counted 'em and said, 'I think you have ten scratched off there,'" Heitkamp said. "And then we both kind of double counted and double-checked and we came up with ten."

Heitkamp said he didn't get much sleep that night.

"I just couldn't believe it," he said.

Heitkamp said he and Jocelyn had told their family, who was excited for them. He is planning to use some of his winnings to pay bills and purchase a newer lawn mower.

Heitkamp, who owns his own dairy farm, claimed his prize Dec. 27 at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids. He purchased his winning ticket at Kwik Star, 2685 Dodge St. in Dubuque.

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