A Kentucky woman is entering the holiday season $175,000 richer thanks to a lucky moment at her employer's white elephant gift exchange.
Lori Janes, an office manager at a dental center in Louisville, said she first received a $25 gift card to T.J. Maxx in the gift exchange at the dental center's holiday party on Dec. 13.
When a colleague "stole" the gift card from her in a later round, Janes had to choose another gift: $25 lottery tickets.
She scratched the tickets while still at the party, winning $50 on the first ticket, according to the Kentucky Lottery.
When Janes scratched the second ticket, she won all 15 spots on the ticket, resulting in a $175,000 top prize, the Kentucky Lottery said.
Janes, a mom of two, told "Good Morning America" she felt a "whirlwind of emotions" when she won the grand prize.
"I think my first instinct was just to call my husband, which I did, with everybody in the room," Janes said. "And he didn't believe it, that it was actually happening and that this was real."
MORE: Man wins lottery for the sixth time with $250,000 jackpot prizeJanes, along with her husband and two children, went to lottery headquarters that same day to collect her prize.
After taxes, she took home a check for $124,250, according to the Kentucky Lottery.
Janes said she plans to use the money to pay for her daughter's college tuition.
