WAVY.com

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman recently won a $2 million lottery prize – but that wasn’t even the best news she received that week.

Geraldine Gimblet, of Lakeland, told the Florida Lottery she stopped at Pipkin Road Beverage Castle for a ticket.


“At first, the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best,” Gimblet said. “He found the last one!”

Upon finishing the puzzle, she realized she had won $2 million.

But that was far from the only positive news for Gimblet.

Gimblet’s daughter told the Lottery, “The day before my mom bought this ticket, I rang the bell and walked out of the hospital after completing my last treatment for breast cancer.”

She said her mother had taken out her life savings to take care of her while she was sick.

“I’m just so happy for her!” she said.

Gimblet claimed her $2 million top prize from the $2 million Bonus Cashword scratch-off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,645,000.

The $10 game features eight top prizes of $2 million and 20 second-tier prizes of $100,000.