At a Glance
- Thomas McCawley of Tontitown, Ark., won $100,000 on a $5 Fiery 5’s scratch-off ticket
- He bought the ticket at Tontitown Z-Mart Inc., a store owned by a family friend
- McCawley plans to use the prize money to buy a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for his mother-in-law
- Why it matters: The win transforms one family’s daily life and mobility options
Thomas McCawley scratched off a $5 instant ticket during his lunch break and walked away $100,000 richer, setting in motion a plan to buy his mother-in-law a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
The Winning Moment
McCawley, a Tontitown, Ark., resident, stopped at Tontitown Z-Mart Inc. on 441 W. Henri De Tonti Blvd. after eating lunch. He chose the Fiery 5’s game on impulse.
“I just had a hunch,” he told My Arkansas Lottery. “I guess you could say it just spoke to me.”
He did not scratch the ticket until he returned to work. The first row revealed the $100,000 top prize.
“This can’t be real,” he recalled thinking.
“It was really hard to go back to work after that,” McCawley added with a laugh.
Claiming the Prize
McCawley recently traveled to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) Claim Center to collect his winnings. He immediately called his wife and relatives, who doubted the news until he showed them the ticket.
A Gift for Family
The winner told lottery officials the money will fund a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for his mother-in-law, a purchase that will ease daily transportation challenges.
Game Status
My Arkansas Lottery reports that one $100,000 top prize remains unclaimed on the Fiery 5’s game.
