What started as a simple trip to pick up hot dogs turned into a life-changing moment for a man in Wisconsin. Joseph Bednarek, a long-time resident of Fond du Lac, had no intention of testing his luck when he walked into his local Pick ‘N Save store on Pioneer Road. He was just there for groceries—hot dogs, to be specific. But as he approached the checkout counter, something caught his eye: a sign displaying the current jackpot for the state’s Badger 5 lottery, which had climbed to an impressive $96,000.
With only a $10 bill in his wallet and an impulsive feeling he couldn’t quite explain, Joseph decided to forgo spending it on snacks and instead purchased a few lottery tickets. He didn't think much of it at the time—he had bought tickets occasionally in the past, but it was never something he relied on for any real reward.
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The following day, curiosity got the better of him. He pulled up the lottery results and began comparing the winning numbers with the ones printed on his ticket. One by one, the digits matched. Confused and unsure whether he was reading them correctly, Joseph checked again. And again. Still unable to fully believe it, he called the Wisconsin Lottery hotline to hear the numbers read aloud. Only then did it fully sink in—he had just won the jackpot.
“I must have checked five or six times,” Joseph said, laughing as he recounted the moment. “Even then, I wasn’t sure until I heard it from the hotline.”
He quickly shared the news with his wife, Ellen, who was just as stunned and overjoyed. The couple has been married for 21 years, and while they’ve weathered their fair share of ups and downs, neither ever imagined they'd find themselves holding a winning lottery ticket worth over $100,000.
The final prize turned out to be $107,000, slightly more than what was advertised on the store sign. The Bednareks are already making plans for how to use the unexpected windfall. First on their list is taking care of some home repairs they had been putting off, followed by paying off their camper—something they’ve been using for family getaways. The rest of the money, they say, will be tucked away into savings to provide a little extra security for the future.
What makes this story so remarkable isn't just the size of the prize, but how randomly it all unfolded. A spur-of-the-moment choice, driven by little more than a gut feeling and a spare ten-dollar bill, ended up changing the course of their year—and perhaps their lives.
For Joseph and Ellen, it’s a reminder that sometimes, fortune really does favor the unexpected.
Have you ever made a spontaneous decision that unexpectedly paid off?
