“It’s going to be life-changing.” That’s how Joseph Hellard of Elsmere said he felt on Monday after claiming a $250,000 prize on a Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off ticket.
Hellard stopped at Elsmere Mini Mart on Garvey Avenue last Saturday to purchase his lottery tickets.
After scratching off a few tickets but not winning anything, he started to leave the store. As he was walking out, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. That’s when he decided to go back in the store and buy one more ticket.

His ticket of choice this particular day was the $10 100X Scratch-off. He didn’t realize how his decision to go back would turn out to be life-changing.
Hellard says he plays Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off tickets often but doesn’t normally buy $10 tickets.
He scratched off his ticket while in the store, and noticed on the first row of his ticket he matched the number 15.
“I figured no matter what, I would get my money back,” he told lottery officials.
Hellard proceeded to scratch off the prize amount, uncovering a $50,000 prize. “My eyes are bad, so I had to look at it several times,” Hellard said.
He continued to scratch off the rest of the ticket when on the last row he also uncovered a 100X symbol. This symbol is a multiplier indicating players multiply the prize shown below by that symbol. The prize amount was $1,000. When he came to the last spot on the ticket, he discovered a second 100X symbol with another $1,000 prize.
“I fell to the ground on my knees. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was crazy,” Hellard told lottery officials.
The Kenton County man said he plans to buy a house and a new vehicle with the winnings.
“Everything we’ve been through, it’s sure going to help.”
Elsmere Mini Mart will receive a $2,500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Kentucky Lottery