ALBUQUERQUE – Three residents of Lea County won five-figure prizes this month playing crossword-style Scratchers from the New Mexico Lottery.
Hobbs Winner
Above: Mindy Lewis, winner of $30,000 “Crossword Cash Multiplier”
Mindy Lewis of Hobbs claimed a $30,000 prize today playing the $3 “Crossword Cash Multiplier.” Lewis, who plays only crossword or bingo-style Scratchers, said she plans to spend some of her prize to buy “a new ride.”
Lewis described her win as “unbelievable.”
“I don’t think it’s going to seem real for another couple of days,” she said.
Lewis bought her ticket at the Allsup’s Store located at 1100 E. Sanger St. in Hobbs. The store has sold 12 other large prize-winning lottery tickets paying between $1,000 and $30,000.
Tatum Winner
Kelly Parkinson of Tatum won $50,000 playing the lottery’s $5 “Crossword 5X” game.
Parkinson said her husband usually buys their tickets, but after spotting first a quarter laying heads up in one store and then a bright shiny penny in a second store, she felt she might be in for some good fortune.
Above: Kelly Parkinson, winner of $50,000 “Crossword Cash Multiplier”
“When I found that penny, I thought I’m going to try it,” she recalled for lottery officials in Albuquerque yesterday.
While her husband pumped gas, Parkinson bought Scratchers. Hours later, she let her husband turn in without telling him that she had revealed a $50,000 prize. After writing down every word from her ticket, Parkinson spent the next several hours going over the list and the ticket again and again and again.
“It was really, really exciting,” she said.
Parkinson, who said she plans to use some of her prize to remodel her kitchen, bought her lucky ticket at Stripes located at 10 E. Broadway St. in Tatum. Previously the store has sold four other large prize-winning lottery tickets paying between $1,500 and $14,000.
Lovington Winner
Earlier in the month, Ruben Quintana of Lovington won $30,000 playing the $3 “Crossword Cash Multiplier,” the same game that Mindy Lewis played. Quintana bought his ticket at Stripes located at 811 W. Avenue D in Lovington. The store has sold two other large prize-winning lottery tickets paying $1,200 and $25,000.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $607 million for education and more than 90,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.
In the past 18 years, more than 1,860 students from Lea County have received approximately $5.2 million in Legislative Lottery Scholarships.
More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.