(AUSTIN) – Juan Estrada Rodriguez of Rockport was returning from a disappointing soccer practice when he went into the Stripes #2144 to purchase a Gatorade. Along with his electrolyte-restoring drink, he bought one Bonus Cashword ticket for his wife and one Weekly Grand for himself.
“I went home, gave my wife her ticket and sat down to scratch my Weekly Grand,” he said. “I can’t tell you why, but I started scratching on the second line of numbers, and that’s where the prize was.”
Estrada’s wife didn’t win anything on her ticket and was suspicious of her husband’s ticket.
“She didn’t think I’d really won a prize,” he said. “In fact, she said she thought my ticket wasn’t real.”
It was real enough that Estrada felt compelled to call his parents and his sister to let them know what he had in his hands.
“I also went back to the store where I bought the ticket and asked them to check it for me,” Estrada said. “All the clerk did was look at it. Right away she told me that I would have to go to the claim center in Corpus Christi or go to Austin to get my prize.”
The new winner kept his ticket tucked away with other important papers. Having a ticket that was worth a total of $1,040,000 in the house, however, kept him awake that night.
“I kept thinking about what I needed to do and how to get it done,” Estrada said. “Finally I fell asleep after three. When I got up a few hours later, I had a headache and I was really tired, but I had to go to work. People were waiting for me.”
Estrada has a lawn and landscaping company in partnership with his sister and brother-in-law. He says Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are his busiest days.
“It’s a holiday weekend, so there’s a lot to do,” he said.
The holiday weekend will be one of celebration for Estrada and his family, too.
“We’re going to have a big carne asada this weekend,” he said. It isn’t just a holiday weekend; the family cook-out will also be a celebration of winning this prize."
Estrada’s immediate plans for his prize include buying a new truck. “I’m also going to save a big part of it for the college education of my child, who’s only three years old right now, but it’s good to start saving right now. Also, I plan to help out my parents and the rest of my family. I’ll save the rest.”
“Weekly Grand #827 on which Mr. Estrada won is the 19th re-issue of this game, and the newest version, number 21, starts this week,” said Texas Lottery Commission Deputy Executive Director Gary Grief. “Mr. Estrada is the 89th winner of the top prize in this game that debuted in 1995. His plans for his prize, to help his family and save for his child’s college education, are admirable and fitting, as the Texas Lottery exists to provide revenue for the Foundation School Fund and public education.”
The Stripes #2144 where Estrada bought his ticket is located at 601South Highway 35 in Rockport. The retailer is eligible to receive a bonus of $10,000 for selling the top-prize-winning ticket.
Tonight’s Mega Millions® jackpot is worth an estimated $16 million. Tomorrow’s Lotto Texas® jackpot is worth an estimated $8 million.
