Cedar Falls Man's Winning Lottery Ticket Brings A Holiday Bonus

CEDAR FALLS, IA — A Cedar Falls man got a pleasant surprise last week when he tried to redeem what he thought was a $25 winning lottery ticket at a local convenience store.

Chad Wilming, 43, instead won the third of six top prizes of $25,000 in the Iowa Lottery's $2 "Holiday Time Bingo" scratch game.

"I thought it was a $25 winner and I forgot to scratch off the bonus numbers, and two of the bonus numbers completed the 'X' (pattern) on the ticket, but I didn't (see) that until the guy behind the counter told me," Wilming told lottery employees as he claimed his prize at the lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.

Wilming, a middle school special education teacher, said he plays the lottery about once a year. He bought his winning ticket Dec. 27 at a Hy-Vee Gas store in Dubuque while visiting family in the area.

"I just saw that there were some (holiday scratch tickets) there and I'm like, 'Well, it's the holidays so I'll just buy four,'" he said.

He told the lottery plans for the money include buying a minivan and a pop-up travel trailer.
"It's kind of a load off, we don't have to worry about other stuff," he said.

Details about the game and its remaining prizes can be found on the Iowa Lottery's website.

Photo courtesy of Iowa Lottery