National

Hairdresser drives through Idaho snowstorm to buy lottery ticket — and it paid off

Miranda Kizziar won $50,000 playing Ol’ Money Bags in Idaho. She plans to spend it on bills, another road trip and to put some in savings.
Miranda Kizziar won $50,000 playing Ol’ Money Bags in Idaho. She plans to spend it on bills, another road trip and to put some in savings. Idaho Lottery

A woman decided to take a road trip through a snowstorm in Idaho with a friend to buy lottery tickets — then she won big.

Miranda Kizziar, a hairdresser, went to KJ’s Kwik Stop in Malad City with her friend and brought $100 to buy lottery tickets, the Idaho Lottery said in a Wednesday, Nov. 2 Facebook post.

She won $256, so she bought $100 more in scratch tickets, according to Idaho Lottery.

Kizziar then won $50,000 from the Bonus Circle on an Ol’ Money Bags scratch game.

When her friend said she won, Kizziar nearly passed out.

“This win was straight from my dad in Heaven,” she told Idaho Lottery.

Her father died two years ago, and she was still grieving his death when her brother died a few days before she decided to take a road trip.

These deaths prompted the two to take a road trip, according to Idaho Lottery.

She plans to use the money to pay for bills, go on another road trip and to put some of it in savings.

It’s unclear when Kizziar made the road trip but she collected the winnings Oct. 24, according to the date on the check in a photo shared by lottery officials.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published November 4, 2022 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Hairdresser drives through Idaho snowstorm to buy lottery ticket — and it paid off."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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