Florida woman surprises son with lottery winnings

LAKE CITY, Fla. – Of all the things that made Terinda Harper-Dixon’s $1 million lottery score special, she said breaking the news to her son was right at the top.

“Telling my son was the best part,” Harper-Dixon told Florida Lottery officials. “I walked into his room and told him his parents were millionaires. Needless to say, he just brushed it off as a joke. It wasn’t until I pulled out the winning ticket that he stopped what he was doing and got excited with us.”

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The state lottery announced Friday that Harper-Dixon, 53, of Lake City, claimed the first $1 million prize from the new Gold Rush Limited scratch-off game.

That scratcher first went into play on Sept. 20.

Harper-Dixon opted for a $795,000 lump-sum payout.

Florida Lottery said she bought the $20 ticket from Stop N Go, located at 801 Northwest Lake Jeffery Road in Lake City, which is in northern Florida, west of Jacksonville.

The seller gets a $2,000 bonus commission.

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