Bluffton woman’s quick trip to Publix ends with $1M lottery prize

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - A Bluffton woman said a last-minute trip to buy cat food turned into a $1 million lottery win.

The woman told South Carolina Education Lottery officials she stopped at the Publix on May River Crossing to take advantage of a buy-one, get-one-free cat food sale before it ended.

“I was really tired, but I needed to get the cat food before the buy one, get one sale ended,” she said.

After purchasing the cat food, she had only a few minutes before the store closed and decided to buy a couple of lottery tickets.

The woman scratched the tickets after returning home and discovered one was worth $1 million.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she told lottery officials.

She said the timing of the purchase still amazes her.

“If someone would have been in line in front of me, I might not have been able to get the tickets,” she said.

The winner said she plans to remain thrifty and keep details of the win private.

“And I’m not telling anyone that I won,” she said.

The winning ticket was part of the Millionaire Bonus scratch-off game. According to the South Carolina Education Lottery, the odds of winning the game’s $1 million prize are 1 in 1.5 million. One top prize remains available.

Publix Super Markets Inc. No. 1714 in Bluffton received a $10,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.