Eastern Iowa Woman Scores $50,000 With Huge Lottery Win

Another person in Eastern Iowa has won huge cash by playing a scratch game with the Iowa Lottery. The crazy part is that when she found out she had won money, she didn't think she had won the grand prize of $50,000.

I mean, I don't blame her because sometimes I think I win a five-figure prize, but really I won $5. Hey, at least it's my money back!

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A big congratulations to Jennifer Donovan, 43, of Clinton, on winning the top prize in the $50,000 Super Crossword scratch game.

When Donovan first scratched off her ticket, she didn't think she won the amount she actually did. She told Iowa Lottery officials she had trouble figuring out the exact amount at first.

"I scratched it and I was like, 'Oh, I think I won $25.' And then I was like, 'Oh, no, I won $100!'" she recalled with a laugh.

But it wasn't until a friend suggested she scan the ticket using the Iowa Lottery mobile app that Donovan realized she'd reached the game's top prize level.

"I scanned it on the app, and it circled a few times, and then it said $50,000," Donovan recalled. "It's like, 'No way!'"

Lottery officials say she purchased her winning "$50,000 Super Crossword" scratch ticket at Kwik Star, 2321 Lincoln Way in Clinton. In the game, players try to complete words with a given set of letters. The more words they complete, the bigger the prize.

Donovan said she plans to put the winnings toward home improvements and a tropical vacation.

Congratulations, Jennifer!