Alexandria, Virginia – An unexpected discovery months after the holiday season has turned a simple gift into a life-changing moment for a woman in Arlington after she claimed a $1 million prize from a statewide lottery raffle.
The Virginia Lottery confirmed that the anonymous winner has claimed the fifth and final $1,000,000 prize from the New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. The winning ticket was not something she had purchased herself, but rather a Christmas gift given by her best friend.
For months, the ticket sat forgotten. The woman did not realize its value until her friend later noticed a sign at a store and suggested she check it. That moment prompted her to recall that she had placed the ticket in a lock box for safekeeping, where it remained untouched until she finally scanned it and discovered the life-changing result.
Virginia law allows winners of prizes worth $1 million or more to remain anonymous, and in this case, the winner chose to keep her identity private.
A forgotten ticket turns into a major win
The winning ticket, numbered 556789, was purchased at a 7-Eleven store located at 2108 Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. It was one of five top prizes announced on New Year’s Day, completing the set of million-dollar winners for the raffle.
The woman shared that the prize will help ease financial burdens and create new opportunities. She plans to use the money to pay bills and also to travel, including spending time with the friend who originally gave her the ticket.
“Now I owe her a winning ticket in next year’s Raffle,” she told Virginia Lottery officials.
The raffle itself produced multiple winners across the state. In addition to the five top prizes of $1 million, seven tickets each won $100,000, with those tickets sold in Hampton, Leesburg, Manassas, Montvale, Richmond, Stafford, and Winchester. Another 1,000 tickets were awarded smaller prizes of $500 each.
The celebration extended beyond players. Retailers who sold the $1 million winning tickets also received a $10,000 bonus from the lottery, adding another layer of reward to the event.
What began as a thoughtful holiday gift turned into a rare and powerful stroke of luck, showing how even a forgotten ticket can carry unexpected value long after the season has passed.
