Kids & Family

Couple Claims Million-Dollar Lottery Prize

Dave Seiden, who works in Valley View School District, misplaced the ticket and the family had to tear the house apart to find it, his wife says.

A Downers Grove couple who won $1 million in the Mega Millions drawing claimed the big prize Thursday morning.

Cathy and Dave Seiden matched numbers on a Quick Pick ticket in the March 18 drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery — but Dave misplaced the ticket

"I bought it out of the lottery self-serve machine at Jewel-Osco ... in Woodridge," Cathy explained in their winners feature on IllinoisLottery.com. "I gave the ticket to Dave and he misplaced it! We spent half an hour tearing the house apart looking for it!"

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Cathy teaches first grade Downers Grove School District 58. Dave is on the technology staff at Valley View Community Unit School District in Bolingbrook.

They plan to use their lump-sum $700,000 payment to finance their sons' college educations.

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Cathy told the Chicago Tribune she buys a ticket every few weeks during her grocery shopping at Jewel. She forgot all about it until a co-worker told her the winning ticket was sold at her store.

"She called me right away and was like, 'We've got to find that ticket,'" Dave told the paper.

Dave's advice for other lottery players? "Sign the back of your ticket and give it to an organized person to hold onto!"

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