Community Corner

Alexandria Woman Claims $100,000 Lotto Prize Hours Before Expiration

Karen Gentry claims her prize after six months.

In early May, Alexandria resident Karen Gentry bought a Cash 5 lottery ticket at the 7-Eleven located at 5834 North Kings Highway in Alexandria. On Tuesday, Gentry finally claimed her $100,000 prize after six months and only four hours to spare before the ticket expired.

According to the Virginia Lottery Office, Gentry said she found out on Tuesday about the ticket expiring by 5 p.m. on a TV news report.

“So I looked, and there it was!” she told lottery officials. “I called my husband and he said, ‘Yeah, right.’”

The winning numbers for the drawing were 6-15-18-23-32. Gentry said she used Easy Pick when she bought the ticket, allowing the computer to randomly select her numbers and then threw the ticket in a box in her kitchen.

“I always check the numbers, so I’m amazed I missed it,” she said.

Gentry, who is in carpet sales, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

Winning tickets in Virginia expire 180 days after the drawing. Gentry's ticket will have expired at the end of business day Oct. 29. According to lottery officials, Gentry arrived at the Lottery’s Northern Virginia Customer Service Center in Woodbridge shortly before 1 p.m. Unclaimed prize money goes to the state's Literary Fund.

"The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding," according to lottery officials. "Since its inception in 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $234 million in unclaimed prizes to Virginia’s Literary Fund."

Cash 5 drawings are held every day at 1:59 p.m. and 11 p.m. The drawings are broadcasted on TV stations throughout Virginia and streamed live on Virginia Lottery and on the Facebook Page.


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