Community Corner

'Build a Race Car,' 'Buy Top Shelf Liquor'—What Would You Do with Lottery Winnings?

Marylanders dream about winning $1,000 per week, saying they'd use it to pay Obamacare premiums or maybe move to the top of a mountain.

Commuting to work in Virginia paid off for a Maryland woman who purchased a winning lottery ticket across the state line and will receive $1,000 a week for the rest of her life.

Wilma Washington of Waldorf works for NASA and purchased the winning ticket last week in Springfield, VA, according to a press release from the Virginia Lottery. She told lottery officials that the numbers she used to play the “Win for Life” game included the birthdays of family members.

What would you do with an extra grand each week? That was the question asked on Maryland Patch Facebook pages and some joked about needing to check their lottery tickets while others complained about how much of the winnings would go to pay taxes. Several said they’d use the winnings to pay for Obamacare.

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Nathan Casa wrote that he would use the winnings to “buy cheeseburgers, lots of cheeseburgers” on Silver Spring Patch’s Facebook page.

David Phelps would skip the food and just “buy top shelf liquor,” according to his post on Bel Air Patch’s Facebook page.

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Many people dreamed about spending the money on necessities, and their families.

“Pay for my twin babies' stay in the NICU and make our home better insulated and heated so they stay nice and warm when they come home,” wrote Lisa King on Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch’s Facebook page.

“Spoil my family rotten!” wrote Steve Politowski on Lutherville-Timonium Patch’s Facebook page.

Betsy Good wrote that she would “hire a personal trainer and personal chef to teach me better how to care for myself and my family” on Bethesda-Chevy Chase Patch’s Facebook page.

“Be a stay at home mom!” wrote Brandy Stocking on Bel Air Patch’s Facebook page.

“Save the majority of it for college for our four kids and retirement. And never worry about spending on little indulgences or vacation ever again!” wrote Elizabeth Arbogast on Bel Air Patch’s Facebook page.

“I'd use it to help all my friends and family that are struggling right now in the dismal economy,” wrote Stephanie Fruhling on Perry Hall Patch’s Facebook page.

Some had practical ideas for how they’d use the extra money.

“Pay off my student loans and save for retirement,” wrote Susan Brannigan on Annapolis Patch’s Facebook page.

“See a dentist, and give some money to a homeless person,” wrote Darlene Hendershot on Bel Air Patch’s Facebook page.

“Give money to my church,” wrote Tina Strong on Bel Air Patch’s Facebook page.

Bruce Potter wrote that he would “retire and live in a camper” on Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch’s Facebook page.

Along the same lines, Deanna Kallman-Medlin wrote that she would “move to warmer weather” on Dundalk Patch’s Facebook page.

Others dreamed big—like Robert Madison Mitchell who wrote that he would “build a race car” on Havre de Grace Patch’s Facebook page.

“Move on top of a mountain and start my kung fu school there,” wrote Timothy Scott Berkemeier on Parkville Patch’s Facebook page.

Perhaps Dawn Arthur Ringenbach summed it up best about how just a $1,000 more per week could help in so many ways. When asked what she would do if she won, she simply wrote “breathe” on Severna Park Patch’s Facebook page.


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