ECHS grad wins big in lottery

Bonnie Buzek of Houston wound up with the best-ever "white elephant" gift, the top prize in the Texas Lottery scratch-off, $500,000 Top Prize, after being the third and last person to hold onto the ticket during her family's Christmas Eve gift-exchange game. The top prize is $50,000 per year for 10 years.

Buzek is a 2002 El Campo High School honor graduate.

"My mother, who never buys lottery tickets, picked the green and yellow tickets because the colors matched the container she planned to put them in," Buzek said. "I got five lottery tickets of $1 each and a gift certificate to Prasek's Smokehouse. I also won a few dollars on one of the other tickets."

Buzek scratched the ticket after all the presents had been opened and was dumbfounded at what she found.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.

"I showed it to my mother and other members of my family, and they couldn't believe what they were seeing, either."

The 27 members of Buzek's family all participated in the gift exchange, each one receiving a number and then picking a prize from among those selected by each member.

Currently obtaining a master's degree in nutrition, Buzek said she plans to use her prize to pay off her student loans.

"I'm also thinking of buying a home, but, first, I'm paying off my college loans," she said.

She is currently employed at a Houston hospital.

"Our new winner has chosen an excellent way to utilize her Lottery prize, by paying off her student loans and paying for her continuing education," said Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Anthony J. Sadberry.

"This is particularly fitting, since the Lottery exists to provide funds to the Foundation School Fund, which benefits public education. Without a doubt, this won't be a Christmas Ms. Buzek will soon forget."

Buzek's ticket was purchased at the Ritz Food Mart Inc. #4, 1809 West Loop in El Campo.

This is the second of the five top prizes in this game to be claimed.