WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Dorothy Hughes is no stranger to April Fool’s jokes. That probably explains why, when she realized she’d won $500,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Millionaire Mania game, her initial reaction was, “This is not an April Fool’s joke!”
The Dumfries woman bought her winning ticket at Cherry Hill Shell, 3186 River Heritage Blvd. in Dumfries. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
“I had no idea I was going to win with that ticket,” Ms. Hughes told Lottery officials as she claimed her prize. “I thought something was wrong. I couldn’t believe it.”
In Millionaire Mania, $500,000 is actually the second prize. The game’s top prize is $2 million. Ms. Hughes is the game’s second $500,000 winner, which means four half-million-dollar tickets remain unclaimed. All three $2 million tickets remain unclaimed.
Hughes, who runs a daycare business, said she hopes to buy a house with her winnings.
