Some things are often too good to be true. But when someone wins the Lottery, it is like a dream come true. And certainly, Lorie Baird of Meridian brought her own rays of sunshine to the Lottery when she won the first top prize of $30,000 on the Scratch Game Sunrise Slingo.

“I bought the tickets and forgot I had them for a while,” described Lorie. “Then, I remembered I had them. I scratched them, I realized I’d won, then I cried. Then I prayed. Then I cried again, then I prayed some more.”

After a fitful night of sleep, she awoke believing the whole event was just a dream. Then she checked her ticket again. “And I realized it wasn’t a dream. It was a dream come true,” she continued. “And I cried again, then I prayed some more.”

Bursting with energy and big smiles when she claimed her prize, Lorie declared, “This is fun!” as she proudly got her picture taken and received both her oversized souvenir check and the real check.

Lorie purchased her winning ticket from the Jacksons on Magic View Drive in Meridian. She plans to replace both her heater and air conditioner at her house with the winnings.