(Baltimore) – Today, one lucky Lottery player discovered what it feels like to be one in a million -- literally. Gaithersburg resident Ariadna Bila learned she was selected from more than 1.1 million entries in the "Seats for 20 Years" prize category. The highly sought-after prize includes two Club Level tickets to every pre-season and regular-season home game, along with parking.
Before this morning's big announcement, finalists and their guests enjoyed a private tour of M&T Bank Stadium, snapping photos and grinning from ear to ear. The tour culminated in the Ravens' locker room, where a personalized jersey -- with the winner's last name -- was hanging behind a curtain, waiting to be shown. Qadry Ismail, former Raven and current member of the Ravens broadcast team, slowly removed the curtain, revealing Ariadna's name on the jersey. After she yelled, "Yeah," and jumped in the air, Ariadna was quickly swept into a group hug with her ecstatic husband, Rogerio and six-year-old daughter, Kaylin.
"This is amazing," Ariadna said while trying to catch her breath. "I can't stop shaking!"
The 27-year-old was one of the Ravens *second-chance *finalists who gathered at the stadium today. All six were already winners, having received $10,000 just for being selected. The other finalists were: Federico Gamboa from Lutherville; Angela Ferraro from Nottingham; Richard Krach from Towson; Mallory Malla from Crofton; and Damien Merritt from Rosedale.
For the eighth year in a row, the Lottery partnered with the Ravens during the 2016 football season. Players entered non-winning $2 and $5 *Ravens *scratch-offs into their *My Lottery Rewards *account. Once a ticket was submitted, entrants could select which prize category they wanted to enter, including "Seats for 20 Years", Away Trips with the Team, Season Tickets for One Season and cash. Throughout the season, more than 3.4 million entries were received for the entire second-chance contest.
Past winners of the "Seats for 20 Years" include Kim Feather from Pasadena; Dawn Brink from Stevensville; Vanessa Williams from Rosedale; Beth Bunch from Baltimore; Vernon Miller, Jr. from Bel Air; Tuesday Johnson from Germantown; and Brenda Grier from Glen Burnie. Since its inception in 1973, Maryland Lottery and Gaming has awarded more than $23.3 billion in prizes to Lottery players and more than $15 billion in Lottery revenue to the State of Maryland. One of Maryland's largest revenue sources, the Lottery supports important state programs and services including education, public safety and health, human resources and the environment. For more information, go to *mdlottery.com*. Please remember to play responsibly and within your budget. For confidential help or information about gambling problems, visit *mdgamblinghelp.org** *or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
