Massachusetts mother wins $25M lottery, vows to wipe out children’s student loans

A Massachusetts mother won $25 million in a lottery prize and said she plans to use the money to help her children pay off their student loans. 

Desiree Fortini-Craft of Hyde Park won the money as part of the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “Billion Dollar Extravaganza” $50 instant game. She was the third person to win the grand prize of $25 million. 

Fortini-Craft joined her fiancé, Jason Perkins, in accepting her earnings. 

She chose to take the one-time payment of $16,250,000 (before taxes).

The mother said, in addition to helping her children with student loans for her three daughters, she wants to enjoy life and have a Christmas in Aruba. She also plans to make some other big family purchases, including buying a new car. 

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Fortini-Craft purchased her scratch-off ticket at Baker Street Market, 419 Baker St. in West Roxbury. She said she scratched it off a few weeks ago and stored it in a secure place. She claimed her prize after recently coming back from a trip to Aruba. 

The store will receive a $50,000 bonus for its sale of this ticket.

Fortini-Craft has been a lottery winner before. She won a $1 million prize in 2006.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.