North Iowa Man Scores $100K Lottery Prize on Thanksgiving Day

A northern Iowa man created an unforgettable Thanksgiving memory after scratching off a $100,000 lottery prize.

63-year-old Allen Walker of Algona won the ninth top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s “$100,000 Mega Crossword” scratch game. He bought his winning ticket Thursday, Nov. 23, at Hy-Vee in Algona.

Walker says, “At first, I thought that this has got to be some kind of mistake: I missed something or scratched off something I shouldn’t have. Then even after I confirmed every single letter that was scratched off, I still had to go up and have them check it with the (terminal) before I actually believed I had a $100,000 winner.”

Walker claimed his prize Monday (11.27) at the lottery’s Mason City regional office. He said he plans to invest his winnings.

The $100,000 Mega Crossword game is a $10 scratch game that features 46 top prizes of $100,000 and 92 prizes of $10,000.