Aurora Woman ‘Blessed’ By $1 Million Lottery Win Now Pays It Forward
Photo caption: Antoinette ‘Toni’ Green of Aurora, IL wins $1 million on an Illinois Lottery $10 MONOPOLY™ 50X scratch-off ticket
CHICAGO, July 23, 2024 – Antoinette ‘Toni’ Green of Aurora recently won the top prize of $1 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket – and her first thought was how she could pay it forward.
“I’ve given away over $100,000 already,” shared Toni. “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.”
The $1 million winning ticket was a $10 MONOPOLY™ 50X scratch-off ticket from the Illinois Lottery, licensed by Scientific Games, LLC., and purchased at Ruby’s Liquor, located at 1535 Butterfield Road in Aurora.
Photo caption: Toni purchased her $1 million winning scratch-off lottery ticket at Ruby’s Liquor, at 1535 Butterfield Road in Aurora.
“Toni has won a few smaller prizes here, and actually claimed our store as her ‘lucky store’ - she’s been coming regularly ever since,” explained Anup Singh, owner of Ruby’s Liquor. “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.”
Photo caption: Jas Singh, son of the owner of Ruby’s Liquor, was so excited after he realized he sold Toni her $1 million winning scratch-off lottery ticket.
“The clerk couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe it,” exclaimed Toni. “He said ‘Toni, sign your ticket and go straight home - you won a million dollars!’ 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.’”
A former longtime school bus driver before the pandemic and most recently a Certified Medical Assistant, Toni has taken care of others as long as she can remember.
Toni said, “I get joy out of seeing other people’s happiness – and wondering how I can help be a part of that. 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.”
For selling the winning ticket, Ruby’s Liquor in Aurora will receive a bonus of one percent of the prize amount, or $10,000.
“Our store has only been open for a couple of years, so it’s very exciting to receive this bonus from the Illinois Lottery – it’s definitely a big boost for our business. We hope to spend the bonus on more inventory for our store, and if my son really is lucky, I might give a little bit to him for selling the winning ticket,” laughed Singh.
So far this year, more than 36 million Illinois Lottery Instant Tickets have been sold, netting players over $926 million in prizes.
The Illinois Lottery currently offers a range of Instant Ticket games priced from $1 to $50, available at approximately 7,000 retail locations across Illinois.
Instant Tickets b-roll available for download here.
The Illinois Lottery reminds players to play for fun, not funds. Be Smart, Play Smart®. Must be 18 or older to play. Game odds available at IllinoisLottery.com.
About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $24 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary benefactor, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.