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Idaho man surprises son with trip of a lifetime after big win

What a great surprise!

The Idaho Lottery Big Spin logo.
Todd Betzold

A normal shopping trip to the mall for one Idaho kid turned into the surprise of a lifetime when his dad won spinning the Big Spin wheel from the Idaho Lottery.

Dad and son shopping trip

On Monday, Dan Hihath and his son headed to Boise Towne Square for what his son thought was a normal trip to the mall. However, his dad had other plans in mind!

Hihath was one of two Idaho Lottery Big Spin winners selected to spin the big wheel for a chance to win up to $125,000 from the Idaho Lottery.

Hihath showed up to the event with his son and nonchalantly asked lottery officials if it would be alright if he could spin the wheel. His son was shocked that his dad would even ask but even more stunned when lottery officials said:

Sure, why not!

Already a confirmed winner

What his son didn't know was that Hihath's winning ticket had been confirmed by Idaho Lottery Security over two weeks ago. That is when Hihath planned the surprise outing with his son, which would just happen to coincide with the Big Spin event.

The event started at 12 p.m. MT on July 29. Northern Idaho resident Michael Hankins was up first. With his spin, he ended up winning $60,000 from the Idaho Lottery. While Hankins was excited about his $60,000 win, he told lottery officials he “was really rooting for Dan to win!”

With his son watching, Hihath was up next. He spun the big wheel and won $70,000. The big surprise was all for his son, as Hihath then revealed what his plans were for the winnings.

The trip of a lifetime

When talking with lottery officials, Hihath said:

I didn't tell him before the event I had actually won the Spin. It was a complete surprise.

Hihath thanked lottery officials for helping to make the surprise a success. Since winning the $70,000, it looks like Hihath is sending his son to Spain.

He told lottery officials:

My son is a local youth soccer player. He has been selected to participate in a weeklong training academy with Real Madrid in Spain. With the winnings, he'll be able to go now in March.

More winners to come

While Hankins, Hihath, and his son are all celebrating their Big Spin wins, there will be more Big Spin winners to come. The Idaho Lottery said Hankins and Hihath were the first two winners from the fourth edition of the popular game.

There are still four top-prize tickets remaining in this edition of the game. Each will have the opportunity to visit Boise Towne Square and spin the big wheel for a chance to win up to $125,000.

The Big Spin is a $5 instant ticket from the Idaho Lottery. When scratching the ticket, if the player finds a “wheel” symbol, they win a digital spin at any lottery retailer location. That digital spin will give them a prize or a chance to win THE BIG SPIN.

Enjoy playing the Idaho Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.

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