Imagine winning a six-figure sum from a mere scratch-off ticket at an office holiday function! That’s exactly what happened to a Louisville, Kentucky woman last week, and to say we’re absolutely jealous (but still happy for her) is an understatement. It all started with a traditional round of White Elephant, a popular gift exchange game during this time of year where participants can choose to steal desirable presents from fellow players in the event it catches their eye. Lori Janes engaged in the game with her coworkers, where she had picked a gift card to her favorite store that she was hoping to keep, before a colleague nabbed it from her (in a move of totally legit gameplay, of course). Janes instead ended up with some scratch off lottery tickets, one of which won her a grand total of a whopping $175,000, per Nashville’s WSMV4 News. “You’re excited, but you’re not sure it’s really real,” she said of the surprising situation. “So, I think you want some clarity from someone else that’s not us in the office, to say that it’s real. So that’s when I was like do you all care if I go to the lottery office right now?” After gaining confirmation of the validity of the jackpot prize at the office of the Kentucky Lottery, she was overjoyed and thankful, posing with family and showcasing the oversized mock check—which she noted was promptly propped underneath the Christmas tree upon receipt. We bet she’s happy someone snatched that store gift card away from her after all! “Kind of cool to celebrate Christmas like that. It’s a blessing,” Janes said, welling up with tears. “I’m still in shock sometimes when you think about it. But it’s a very cool experience.” What a gift!
