A store on Harlem Avenue in Harwood Heights brought a smile to one of its regular customers when a lottery ticket he purchased there turned out to be a $1 million winner, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Kaushik Patel of Harlem Food & Liquors, 4850 N. Harlem Ave., said the lottery winner, who the Illinois Lottery is calling “Mr. M,” comes into the store frequently, according to a Lottery news release.
“He actually bought the very last 50X Payout ticket in our machine,” said Patel. “He then came back the next day and said ‘Hey buddy, I got a million dollar win from you!’ He was so happy, and smiling so big – it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”
The winning scratch-off ticket cost $10.
“I was going to retire next year – but now I don’t have to wait!” said the winner, according to an Illinois Lottery news release. “It’s time I focus on what really matters – my family. With this money, I can retire early, and I’m going to move closer to my kids to be more present in their lives. I’m also a grandfather, and it’s finally time for me to enjoy spoiling my grandkids.”
When asked what he plans to do with the winnings, the 68-year-old industrial mechanic replied, “I’m going to buy a condo near my kids, and trade in my car for a pick-up truck to help out my daughter who is always paying delivery fees for things. I can now be her delivery man, and I won’t charge her a penny.”
The Harwood Heights store will receive a cash selling bonus of one percent of the prize amount. For Harlem Food & Liquors, that means a bonus of $10,000.
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In September 2022, Harlem Food & Liquors also sold a $1 milling winning Lotto ticket, the news release said.