A Florida mother has won the $2 million top prize on Florida Lottery's Bonus Cashword scratch-off game the day after her daughter reportedly ended breast cancer treatment.
Geraldine Gimblet, of Lakeland, purchased her $10 winning ticket from Pipkin Road Beverage Castle, located at 1170 West Pipkin Road, according to a press released issued by the Florida Lottery.
"At first the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best. He found the last one!," Gimblet told the Florida Lottery.
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Gimblet's daughter told the Florida Lottery how much this win means for her mother.
"The day before my mom bought this ticket, I rang the bell and walked out of the hospital after completing my last treatment for breast cancer," Gimblet's daughter, who was unnamed in the media release, shared with the Florida Lottery.
"My mom had taken out her life savings to take care of me when I was sick," Gimblet's daughter added. "I'm just so happy for her!"
A patient "ringing the bell" is a ritual which often takes place at medical facilities to signify a milestone in cancer treatment, according to the Oncology Nursing Society.
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After she won on the crossword scratch-off, Gimblet visited lottery headquarters in Tallahassee along with her daughter and granddaughter to claim her prize.
Reggie Dixon, chief of staff for the Florida Lottery, heard the story and joined Gimblet in her celebration, the Florida Lottery announced.
Gimblet decided to take her winnings at a one time, lump-sum payment of $1,645,000.00, after state and federal taxes were removed, the lottery agency reported.
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The "$2,000,000 Bonus Cashword" by the Florida Lottery was first launched in 2022, with eight winners taking home a top prize of $2 million and 20 second tier prizes of $100,000, according to the Florida Lottery.
The Florida Lottery's Scratch-Off games comprised nearly 77 percent of the overall tickets sales in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, according to the press release.
Upwards of 99 percent of the Florida Lottery's revenue is reinvested back into the Florida economy through "prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers and transfers to education," the Florida Lottery shared.
