ELBA, N.Y. — It may go down as Nichole Williams' best birthday ever. Thanks to a scratch-off lottery ticket a friend gave her for a gift, the Orleans County woman collected a check from none other than Yolanda Vega for $1 million on Wednesday.
The Triple Double 777 Red Hot ticket was bought at Crosby's on South Main Street in Elba where the ceremonial check presentation took place.
"I just kept on going and once I finished it, I just scratched the prize after," Williams said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Williams' says she has only ever played scratch-offs twice in her life. The first thing she did after showing her husband was call her father. she told 2 On Your Side that her dad plays the lottery regularly but has never won.
Williams began working at a nursing home in Medina after nearly dying while battling cancer. during this time, her friend gave her four scratch-off tickets, one of which proved to be a winner.
Nichole Williams told 2 On Your Side that the money came just in time. She recently learned that she was cancer-free but was still working to pay off her medical bills at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Williams says she plans to use the money to pay off some medical bills and buy a camper and take her kids on a road trip. The rest she will put in savings to help her children pay for college.
When asked if she planned to quit her job, Williams said she had no intention of doing so.