Woman accidentally donates jacket with winning $2.5M lottery ticket inside

A Pennsylvania woman found out she won the lottery for $2.5 million and then realized she lost the ticket after accidently leaving it in an old jacket that she donated to charity.

Woman loses lottery ticket

Mildred Simoneriluto, 76, bought a Cash 5 lottery ticket at a grocery store in May 2024, reports to 6 ABC.

Two weeks later, she discovered she had won but couldn’t find the actual ticket which Pennsylvania Lottery officials said she needed in order to receive he earnings.

Simoneriluto retraced her steps then remembered she had placed it inside a jacket that she donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

“I was stupefied; there are no words for it, there’s no expression,” she told the outlet about the mishap. “How can I get it back?”

The organization donates clothing around the U.S. and other countries, so the jacket could be anywhere.

Deadline is approaching

Pennsylvania lottery officials told Simoneriluto she must have the ticket in person by May 8 to claim the jackpot.