FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Friday, December 12, 2008

 

CONTACT: David Workman         

(208) 334-2600

                                

$250,000 Christmas Present Arrives Early for Sandpoint Lottery Winner

 

Boise – Christmas arrived early for one lucky Sandpoint woman.  Nancy Andersen received an early holiday present from the Idaho Lottery when she scratched and won the top prize of $250,000 on Xtreme Winter Green.

 

“I’m absolutely thrilled. I don’t have to worry about money for a long while,” exclaimed Andersen, a Sandpoint resident of over 40 years. “It feels really good, really wonderful.”

 

Andersen purchased her winning ticket from one of the Idaho Lottery’s brand new vending machines at Yokes Pac N Save in Ponderay. 

 

“I didn’t believe it when I was scratching it, but all those zeros kept coming and coming,” described Andersen on her winning experience.

 

The quarter-of-a-million dollar top prize makes her the second largest Idaho Lottery winner ever from northern Idaho and the 22^nd largest Idaho Lottery winner statewide since the Lottery began in 1989.

 

A long-time cook for the Bonner General Hospital before retiring, Andersen said she plans to help her family with her winnings, save the bulk of the money and put it to good use.

 

Xtreme Winter Green was a $15 Scratch ticket that debuted during last year’s holiday season and carried the second largest cash prize available on an instant Scratch^TM game from the Idaho Lottery. The game was over 80% sold through when Andersen claimed the top prize.

 

For their part in selling the winning ticket, Yokes Pac N Save will receive a $20,000 bonus from the Idaho Lottery.

 

Photo of the winner is available.

 

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ABOUT THE IDAHO LOTTERY

The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Scratch™ tickets, and PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho public schools and buildings. Since it’s inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has sold more than $1.7 billion in sales, awarded over $1 billion in prizes to players, returned more than $100 million in retail commissions, and distributed more than $402 million in Lottery dividends to state public schools and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.