‘Aerosmith®’ Sweater Starts an Itch to Scratch

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4/8/2010 9:47:44 AM - ALBUQUERQUE – On Monday, a convenience store clerk with a sharp eye for detail noticed customer Chris Uecker’s clothing.

“I was wearing an Aerosmith sweater,” Uecker said. “The clerk saw it and asked if I wanted to buy an Aerosmith Scratcher. ”

Since he had already made his purchase, Uecker said no, but later in the day he felt an itch to play the New Mexico Lottery Scratcher featuring the band he loves.

He stopped at another convenience store and bought four “Aerosmith®” tickets. One of those tickets revealed a $50,000 prize. Uecker said his father – a huge Aerosmith fan – will be jealous.

“My first concert was Aerosmith,” Uecker recalled. “My dad took me when I was 12. I loved it.”

The 29-year-old owner of a pool service plans to spend his noteworthy prize making home improvements.

Uecker’s lucky ticket came from Circle K No. 01428 located at 6130 Edith Blvd. NW in Albuquerque. This lottery retailer has sold 12 other large prize-winning tickets ranging between $1,000 and $100,000.

The New Mexico Lottery launched the “Aerosmith” game on March 16. The game features top prizes of $50,000 as well as a special promotion for trips to meet members of the band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

The sale of New Mexico Lottery games benefits a tuition-assistance program for New Mexico residents attending the state’s public colleges and universities. Since 1996, the lottery has raised $431 million for public education and more than 61,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.

As of the Spring 2009 semester, 18,600 high school graduates and GED recipients from Bernalillo County have received $105.6 million in Legislative Lottery Scholarships.