Someone won the lottery and then anonymously donated the winning ticket to charity

Winning it big on the lottery is the dream for many people.

In the run up to Christmas, a little extra cash certainly wouldn't go amiss and for many families, some financial security going into 2017 would be a welcome relief.

But one lucky lottery winner decided to something more selfless with their winnings. Instead of splurging on something fancy or buying the biggest turkey they possibly could, they donated the money to charity.

Earlier this week, a winning Fantastic 10s scractcard - an instant win game that costs $10 to enter - was deposited anonymously in the Salvation Army's collection kettle outside of a Walmart in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The value of the scratchcard was $1000, around £800.

Major Leslie Walter, an officer of the Salvation Army in Erie told Fox61:

We’ve received donations of winning instant tickets in the past, but they’re usually in an amount of $10 or $20 – never something of this size,

We are very grateful for this generous donation, which will help us to serve people and families in need.

The charity is hoping to raise $190,000 this year, so the lottery ticket is a welcome donation.

Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko addded:

The Christmas season often brings out the best in people. 

It’s heartwarming to hear stories such as this one, and I applaud this anonymous winner for turning their good fortune into an act of charity that will benefit the community.

More: People are giving their first new £5 note to charity