A couple in Chariton County won the first $88,888 top prize on an “Emerald 8s” Scratchers ticket purchased at Prenger Foods, 307 E. Broadway, in Brunswick.

“They had one of those ticket vending machines, so I just used that.” the player said.

After she purchased the ticket, she brought it out to her boyfriend, who drove them home. Once there, she started to scratch it off.

“When I saw that first ‘8,’ I knew,” she said of the moment she realized her ticket was going to be a big winner. “I just about cried!”

She told her boyfriend they had won, and he shared in her excitement.

“We were both jumping up and down!” she said. “It was pretty wild.”

So far, “Emerald 8s” players have won over $4.8 million in prizes playing the $5 game. Over $9.7 million remain in unclaimed prizes, including four more top prizes of $88,888.

In FY22, players in Chariton County won more than $1 million in Missouri Lottery prizes, retailers received more than $109,000 in commissions and bonuses, and more than $182,000 in Lottery proceeds went to education programs in the county.