Aurora woman pays it forward after winning $1M lottery prize

AURORA, Ill. - An Aurora woman who recently won $1 million from a lottery scratch-off ticket is using her windfall to help others.

Antoinette "Toni" Green shared her plans to pay it forward after winning the prize on a MONOPOLY 50X scratch-off ticket.

"I’ve given away over $100,000 already," Green told the Illinois Lottery. "When I was blessed with this prize, I knew I was finally in a position to give back, to help my friends and family, and to pay it forward."

Green purchased the winning $10 ticket from Ruby's Liquor, located at 1535 Butterfield Road in Aurora.

"The clerk couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t believe it," Green said. "He said, ‘Toni, sign your ticket and go straight home – you won a million dollars!’ I sat in my car in front of Ruby’s in total shock, and then I had an epiphany – I can help others, I can make a difference in somebody’s life with this money."

Before the pandemic, Green had been a longtime school bus driver and most recently worked as a Certified Medical Assistant. Her passion for helping others has only grown since her big win.

"I get joy out of seeing other people’s happiness – and wondering how I can help be a part of that," she said. "The other day I overheard a young woman who could only afford a gallon of gas, and I paid the clerk to fill up her tank. It’s not about what you can do for yourself, but what you can do for others."

Ruby's Liquor owner Anup Singh recounted the excitement at his store when Green won.

"Toni has won a few smaller prizes here and actually claimed our store as her ‘lucky store’ – she’s been coming regularly ever since," Singh said. "My son, Jas, was working the day she won the million-dollar prize. He said she scratched the ticket and started screaming ‘Oh my gosh!’ She then had him scan the ticket multiple times, and sure enough – the $1 million prize was real."

As a result of selling the winning ticket, Ruby's Liquor received a $10,000 bonus from the Illinois Lottery.

"Our store has only been open for a couple of years, so it’s very exciting to receive this bonus – it’s definitely a big boost for our business," Singh said. "We hope to spend the bonus on more inventory for our store, and if my son really is lucky, I might give a little bit to him for selling the winning ticket."

For more information on the Illinois Lottery, visit their website.