Kids & Family

Joliet Women Wins $250,000 Lottery by Missing Every Number

Mary Ellen Harris played the Illinois Lottery's Hit or Miss game, where you can win either by guessing the correct numbers or getting them all wrong.

Joliet resident Mary Ellen Harris has come forth as the winner of $250,000 in the Illinois State Lottery, chosen randomly out of the pool of people who didn't pick one correct number in the Oct. 13 Hit or Miss game. Here's a news release from the lottery on her reaction to winning:

“I can’t believe I won the lottery by missing every number!”  said Mary Ellen Harris after becoming the first ever Hit or Miss player to win $250,000 when the numbers on her ticket didn’t match any of the winning numbers drawn.

The lucky Joliet resident missed all 12 numbers - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 13 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 20 - 21 - 22 – 24 – (02) in the Sunday October 13 10:30 a.m. drawing.

While out for her usual morning walk, Harris stopped at the local convenience store, Mickey’s One Stop, to buy a lottery ticket. 

“I’ve played Hit or Miss a few times since it started and I’ve won prizes of $2 and $5.”  

She put $2 in the lottery self-service machine and pushed the button to select a Hit or Miss Quick Pick ticket. The next morning Harris walked to the store again, this time to have the clerk check her ticket. 

“When he told me that I won, I started to cry!” She immediately called her husband and asked him to come and pick her up. 

Harris and her husband David, both age 61, are lifelong residents of Joliet and have been married 11 years. Harris is a retired Joliet Police Department account clerk and David is a retired Joliet Fire Department mechanic. Combined, they have five children and eight grandchildren. 

“They’re all so happy for us!” Harris said she and David have not yet made firm plans for the quarter of a million dollar windfall. “I think we’re still waiting for it to sink in.”

Mickey’s One Stop, 1415 Plainfield Road, Joliet, will receive $2,500, 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.

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