HUMBOLDT PARK — After winning the lottery last week, Chicago native Jessica Sanchez said she’s already made arrangements to use some of the money to help the homeless in Humboldt Park.
Jessica Sanchez discovered she’d won half a million dollars on a Rockin’ Bingo instant lottery ticket and her first thoughts were about sharing her good fortune with others, according an Illinois Lottery spokeswoman.
“When the clerk told me it was a top prize of $500,000, all I could think about was how to share it with my friends and family,” Sanchez said when she presented her winning ticket at the Illinois Lottery Prize Center in Chicago.
Sanchez was on her way home after a long day at work when she stopped at the gas station to buy a snack and a lottery ticket. Later that night she decided to scratch the ticket.
“I was feeling very sleepy so at first I thought the prize amount was $500," Sanchez said in a statement. "When I took it to the store the next day and double-checked it, I realized it was $500,000!” That morning she bought breakfast for all of her co-workers.
And that’s only the start. Sanchez said she plans to contribute to the food trucks that help the homeless in the Humboldt Park community, according to the Illinois Lottery.
When asked what advice she would give to other lottery players she said, “Share your good fortune, and always double-check your tickets!”
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