LEBANON JUNCTION, Ky. — A Lebanon Junction man was having a rough day last week before it quickly turned around.
Lottery officials say on his way home from work, Ryan Gilkey stopped at M&S Food Mart in Louisville to grab some beer and bought a 500X Scratch-off.
“It had been a day, so I figured I’d give it a try,” Gilkey said.
While in his truck, Gilkey started to scratch the ticket off when he realized the last spot on the ticket matched the number 9 -- winning the game’s $50,000 prize!
Gilkey told officials he started to scratch off the prize, saw the 50 and thought at least he had won his money back, but then he saw the zeroes and was like, “Oh my god!”
“I saw it and hopped out of my truck, put my hands on my head, and spun around several times. If anyone was watching, they would think I was crazy,” Gilkey said.
He told lottery officials he kept checking the ticket to make sure it was a winner. Then he called his wife, Jessica.
“I didn’t know what to think. His voice was high-pitched and sounded like he was crying. All I could hear was fifty until finally I heard him say, ‘I won $50,000,’” Jessica said. “I was like calm down. I needed to see it [ticket], so he Facetimed me and then I started crying.”
Officials said the couple drove to lottery headquarters the following day where he received a check for $35,750 after taxes.
They told lottery officials they are expecting their second child, so the extra money came at a good time.
“I haven’t stopped shaking since," Gikey said.
M&S Food Mart will receive $500 for selling the winning ticket.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
