Recently Retired Coal Miner Wins the $1 Million Happy Birthday Second Chance Grand Prize

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Acting West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers introduced Vickie Walls of Morgantown as the winner of the Lottery’s $1 Million 30th Happy Birthday Second Chance Drawing at a press conference at Lottery Headquarters in Charleston on Monday.

The Lottery marked its 30th anniversary with a special instant ticket game called Happy Birthday that featured a second-chance component where players who purchased a non-winning ticket could enter for a chance to win prizes, including a $1 million grand prize.

The Lottery received a total of 43,140 entries for the promotion and Walls was the lucky grand prize winner. She mailed in her entry with a non-winning ticket that she had purchased at the Circle K on University Avenue in Morgantown.

Walls recently retired after working for 30 years as a coal miner in northern West Virginia. She was joined by her brother, her sister-in-law and her two grandchildren at the press conference.

“I play the lottery regularly. I think its fun and when I play I look at it like I am helping out the state,” Walls said. “I knew somebody was going to win and of course you never think it is going to be you. I am so grateful and just so happy.”

Walls said the prize money will make a difference for her family and that it will be put to good use.

“I am going to stay with the plan I had when I retired,” Walls said. “I am getting a new car, get some work done on my house and enjoy life.”

Walls also said she has a vacation in her future.

“I want to take my little granddaughters to Disney and I will enjoy that and I know they will too.”