Page 10 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch September 27, 2013 Ocean City Bartender Scores $30K Lottery Payday By JOANNE SHRINER STAFF WRITER OCEAN CITY – For one Ocean City local, buying scratch-off lottery tickets and forgetting about them turned into the realization of one of her dreams. Ocean City resident Lauren Buckler, 21, had purchased 15 of Maryland Lottery’s $2 Blackout Bingo tickets at 7-Eleven on 139th Street. She held onto them for a few days before she got around to scratching them off. “I had sort of forgotten about them,” she said. Buckler was bartending at Kirby’s Red Onion Bar and Grill last Wednesday when she remembered to scratch off her tickets. She had two couples sitting at the bar when she came across a winning ticket and they all began helping her count up her bingo spaces one by one. At first, Buckler was not sure how much her final prize was until the bingo card had become blacked out, revealing she had won the game’s final top prize of $30,000. At that point, she and the bar patrons rang out in excitement. Buckler contacted her boyfriend, Michael Marciano, who at first couldn’t believe what he was hearing until he double checked the ticket. “He always makes fun of me for buying scratch-offs, but when we found out I won $30,000 we both started screaming,” Buckler said. “Mike and I were literally jumping up and down, we were so excited.” The next day, Buckler and Marciano made the trip from Ocean City to lottery headquarters in Baltimore to turn in the winning $2 Blackout Bingo ticket. Upon arrival, she was told she was the final winner out of a total of 16 prizes. “This is the most awesome-est, awesome thing ever,” she said at lottery headquarters, adding she plans to save the bulk of the prize. “I love the beach and Ocean City. I’m still going to do my normal thing and work six days a week.” Buckler admitted her lucky strike calls for a bit of splurging and plans on taking herself on a shopping spree and taking a vacation in Disney World. “We have been planning on going to Disney World for a while, but we weren’t sure if we were going to have enough money,” Buckler said. This will be Buckler’s first excursion to Disney World and what a better time to make her dream come true than to go during her upcoming birthday. “I don’t think I will actually believe it until it is actually happening,” Buckler said of eventually receiving the check and depositing her winnings. Since its inception in 1973, the Maryland Lottery has awarded nearly $21 billion in prizes to players and $13.3 billion in revenue to the state of Maryland. Lauren Buckler is pictured with her boyfriend, Michael Marciano, with the $30,000 check she received from the Maryland Lottery last week. Submitted Photo DIRECTONS: Off Rte. 90, Take Casino Exit South And Left At 3rd Light Immediately On Your Right Southwest Bar & Grill • 410-208-1383 11033 Nicholas Lane, Ocean Pines • Ocean Pines South Gate Entrance Wicomico & Baltimore Ave. Downtown Ocean City 410-289-POUR(7687) Also Great Waterfront Dining Happy Hour Monday-Friday 3-7 p.m. Sunday 9 p.m.-Close w/ $4 Fireball Wednesday All Day & Night $2.50 Dom. Pints $2.75 Dom. Bottles $3.25 Rail Drinks $3.25 House Wine $5.00 Wings $6.95 1/2 # Steamed Shrimp WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT: Friday DJ Moonshine 8 p.m. Saturday Back Alley & Eclipse (A Tribute To Journey) 9 p.m. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE DECK 5 P.M.-9 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 27: MICHAEL SMITH • SATURDAY, SEPT. 28: RYAN JACKSON EVERY THURSDAY: KALEB BROWN Sunday Ravens Victory Party w/ Rob Fahey & The Pieces 4 p.m. Wednesday Happy Hour All Day Thirsty Thursday Open Mic Night 9 p.m $2 OFF All Craft Beer $2 Dom. Pints • $4 Fireball HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 4 P.M.-7 P.M. • $1.25 TACOS LA HA RITAS $5 • RAIL MARGARITA $3 RAIL DRINKS $3 • DOMESTIC BEER $1.50 IMPORT BEER $2.50 • HOUSE WINE $3 PREMIUM WINE $4.25 DINNER SPECIALS • Monday: $1.25 Taco Night • Tuesday: $11.95 Steak or Chicken Fajitas • Wednesday: $5 Burgers And Burritos • Thursday: $1.25 Taco Night • Sunday: $11.95 Steak Or Chicken Fajitas Reservations For Groups Of 8 Or More • Smoke-Free Awarded Hall Of Honor By The Restaurant Association Of Maryland All The Time! $2 NATTY BOH PINTS $5 CRAFT FLIGHTS $6 ORANGE CRUSHES OPEN EVERY DAY AT 4 P.M. WWWOCLAHACIENDA.COM Open Daily • Noon