Birthday spa day turns into $50K lottery surprise for Maryland grandmother

Power outage leads to $50K lottery surprise for local woman

GREENSBORO, Md. — What started as a relaxing birthday celebration took a stunning turn when a Caroline County woman walked away with a $50,000 lottery win — all thanks to a last-minute change of plans.

Alicia, a private caregiver, mother and grandmother, had planned to spend her 40th birthday unwinding at a spa with her sister-in-law. But after one of their appointments was unexpectedly canceled due to a power outage, the day took an entirely different direction.

With extra time on her hands, Alicia stopped at the Quick Shop on Greensboro Road to cash in a scratch-off ticket — a decision that would quickly turn into a life-changing moment.

Using part of her winnings, she purchased two $10 FAST PLAY High Roller Blackjack tickets from a vending machine, a game she had only recently started trying.

At first glance, Alicia thought she scored a $10,000 prize.

“I was too excited...