Extra Lottery Ticket Leads to Honeymoon Cruise

From the Maryland Lottery:

Kimberly and Larry Brown arrived at Lottery headquarters earlier this spring with a winning Cruise for Cash scratch-off and an exciting story.  

Larry, in an effort to raise the spirits of his under-the-weather wife, asked a Maryland Lottery retail clerk for five Cruise for Cash scratch-offs. When the clerk accidentally ripped off six tickets, Larry saw that as a sign that he had to purchase that extra ticket. 

Not only did the sixth ticket turn out to be the only winner in the bunch, it gave the Browns something they’ve only dreamed of: a honeymoon vacation.

The Browns are old friends, but newlyweds who reconnected after a chance meeting with Larry’s daughter at a local Burger King. 

“I ordered my dinner from the drive-through and the cashier recognized me,” Kimberly Brown recalled. “It was Larry’s daughter and she hadn’t seen me since she was a little girl!” 

Soon after, Kimberly, a produce manager at Mars, received a letter in the mail from Larry, a driver for Ostrowski’s Sausage. They subsequently went out on a date and have been together ever since.

“We were married in a short court ceremony this past July out of necessity, but are having a dream wedding next month (May 2011)," Kimberly said. Now, the Browns will have their dream honeymoon, too.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Wise Avenue Citgo, located at 222 Wise Avenue in Dundalk.

Partnering with Royal Caribbean International, the Maryland Lottery launched Cruise for Cash on January 10, 2011. The $5 scratch-off features seven $50,000 instant top prizes, as well as 31 instant cruise vacations and a second-chance contest.  The second-chance prize includes a nine-night cruise vacation for two on any one of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships departing from the Port of Baltimore.  The winner will also receive a $1,000 onboard credit. One drawing will take place each month through July.