An Aurora woman who won the top prize of $1 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket celebrated the win by immediately thinking of how she could pay it forward.
Antoinette "Toni" Green snagged the top prize on a $10 Monopoly 50x scratch-off ticket, which she purchased at Ruby's Liquor, located at 1535 Butterfield Road in Aurora, according to Illinois Lottery officials.
After the big win, her first thought was how she could help her loved ones.
“I’ve given away over $100,000 already. When I was blessed with this prize, I knew I was finally in a position to give back, to help my friends and family, and to pay it forward," Green said.
Anup Singh, the owner of Ruby's Liquor, said that Green had won several smaller prizes at the store in the past.
“My son, Jas, was working the day she won the million dollar prize. He said she scratched the ticket and started screaming ‘Oh my gosh!’ She then had him scan the ticket multiple times, and sure enough - the $1 million prize was real," Singh said.
Green said after sitting in her car in shock for a few minutes after learning she won the top prize, she began to think about how the money could change the lives of others in her life.
"I sat in my car in front of Ruby’s in total shock, and then I had an epiphany – I can help others, I can make a difference in somebody’s life with this money,'" Green said.
Working as a school bus driver and later as a certified medical assistant, taking care of others is part of Green's character.
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"The other day I overheard a young woman who could only afford a gallon of gas, and I paid the clerk to fill up her tank. It’s not about what you can do for yourself, but what you can do for others," Green said.
Ruby's Liquor will receive a bonus of $10,000, or 1% of the grand prize, for selling the winning ticket.
According to lottery officials, more than 36 million winning instant tickets have been sold so far in 2024, with players winning more than $926 million in prizes.
More information on games offered can be found here.
