She went out on a mayo errand and came back with $1,000,000.
Nellida "Nelly" Baez-Alvarado is a married 44-year-old mother of two from Tonawanda, Court Officer of the 8th Judicial District, and the newest Lottery winner.
"It was a typical work day," said Baez-Alvarado. "I went to the store at lunch to pick up some mayonnaise of all things. I did a few other errands before getting to the store and I just ran out of time so instead of mayo, I left the store with some scratch-off tickets and went back to work."
She only won $2 on her first Win $1,000 A Week for Life scratch-offs.
When she scratched off her third "Life" symbol on the second ticket, she said she had to call over a co-worker to make sure she was really seeing such a fortune.
"I was overwhelmed when I saw him look up at me with tears in his eyes," said Baez-Alvarado. "I walked downstairs calmly and then dropped to my knees to thank God and my parents for this blessing."
Baez-Alvarado says her parents died unexpectedly last year and feels they played an role in her fortune.
Baez-Alvarado says she chose the Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off because she liked the idea of having a little extra money just to make life a little easier.
She chose to receive her guaranteed $1,000,000 prize in 20 annual payments of $52,000 (net $34,414). After that she will continue receiving $52,000 a year for life.
"It's not about materialistic gain," said Baez-Alvarado. "There's no greater gift for any parent than to see their children happy. This will make a big difference in their futures."
Baez-Alvarado bought her ticket at the Tops Friendly Market on Niagara Street in Tonawanda.
