Peoria, IL – After buying a newspaper one Saturday morning, Shirley Moon started to leave Western Food Mart in Peoria, but stopped on her way out. “I went back to the counter,” she says. “I thought, ‘For one time in my life I want to see what happens with a higher priced ticket.’” Although Shirley had played $1 and $2 instant tickets for three years, she had never played a $20 instant. So, what happened? Shirley chose a “Double My Million” ticket and won $2 million.
After experiencing this good fortune, Shirley immediately called her son. She told him, “I’m looking at this ticket and there’s got to be something I don’t see, but it looks like I just won $2 million.”
After going back to the store and verifying her win, the 66-year-old great-grandmother got ready for her usual shift at work at a local department store, where she has worked for 34 years. Shirley first started playing instant tickets with her co-workers during their lunch break.
Shirley says her experience of winning $2 million hasn’t greatly affected her lifestyle. Although she plans to eventually retire with help from her winnings, Shirley hasn’t picked a date or decided on any big purchases. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” Shirley says. “I’m just sitting back and going with it.”
Western Food Mart, located at 725 N. Western Avenue in Peoria, will receive a bonus of 1 percent of the top prize, or $20,000, for selling the winning ticket.
