MONUMENT, Colo. — Self-proclaimed "Crazy Cat Lady" Doreen M. can now give her cats more treats and toys than they could ever need after claiming her half of the $25 million Colorado Lotto+ Jackpot.
Doreen purchased the ticket at the Safeway Fuel Mini C in Monument on Wednesday, and when she checked her ticket numbers on the website after the drawing, she thought to herself, "You have got to be kitten me."
At first, Doreen thought she only won $6, but when she entered the second line of numbers, her payout increased — quite a bit.
The first person she called was her sister.
"You'd better sit down for this," she said over the phone.
Along with her passion for feline friends, Doreen is an avid knitter and weaver, and plans to use some of the winnings to travel to knitting conventions across the country. There's sure to be plenty of yarn for both her and her kitties in the foreseeable future.
She used the first two payments to pay off bills and her mortgage, and she chose to receive the money in 25 graduated annual payments.
She wasn't the only winner. The other golden ticket holder was Charlotte F. from Crowborough, England, who bought her ticket at the Winners Corner LLC in Pueblo, an apt name for the store considering the outcome.
The $25 million jackpot for the Colorado Lotto+ was the second-largest in Colorado history.