Winning lottery ticket sold in Natick was due to expire May 17. Then someone came forward

NATICK Just in the nick of time.

Three days before a winning Lucky for Life ticket purchased last year at a Natick convenience store was due to expire, a trustee representing the winner stepped forward to claim the $25,000-a-year-for-life prize.

The Retirement Trust of Natick, in the person of trustee Luke Bean, claimed the prize on Tuesday at Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester, according to the Lottery Commission. The prize was won in the multistate Lucky for Life drawing that took place on May 17, 2023, and was set to expire this Friday one year later.

Luke Bean, trustee for The Retirement Trust of Natick, poses with an outsized check after claiming a winning Lucky for Life ticket that was due to expire May 17.
Luke Bean, trustee for The Retirement Trust of Natick, poses with an outsized check after claiming a winning Lucky for Life ticket that was due to expire May 17.

'We don't know who got it': Unclaimed Lucky for Life ticket worth $25,000 a year was sold in Natick

The trust opted to receive its prize as a lump sum, a one-time payment of $390,000 (before taxes).

The winning Quic Pic ticket, which matched the first five numbers selected in the drawing, was purchased at J Convenience Store & Laundromat, 229 North Main St. (Route 27) in Natick. The store received $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

How to stay anonymous when claiming a winning Lottery ticket

Lottery winners in Massachusetts are not allowed to remain anonymous, but the Lottery allows them to create a trust, in which a trustee is able to turn in the winning ticket, receive the check and then deposit it into a bank account set up for the beneficiary.

Lucky for Life and other draw game prize winners have one year from the date of the drawing to claim prizes. Lottery prizes that expire become part of the net profit that the Lottery returns to the Commonwealth for distribution to all 351 cities and towns.

Lucky for Life drawings are conducted seven nights a week.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Winning lottery ticket sold in Natick claimed 3 days before deadline