Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
July’s Luckiest Hoosier Alive: Jason Hoard
“I’m that guy where puzzling meets unbelievable,” says Jason Hoard, a postal service employee and father of four who seems to be a real-life good luck charm.
Back in 2005, Hoard struggled in his attempt at purchasing an scratch lottery ticket like those now sold at the Top 10 Online Casinos.
“I had no idea what I was doing,” says Hoard, a resident of Avon. “After putting $20 in one of the machines and expecting change, I finally figured it out.”
Days later, he saw a picture of the $1 million lotto winner and recognized the face as the guy who was at the gas station at the same time he was.
Several years later, the story repeated when Hoard spotted someone at a lottery machine playing a local draw game. Hoard thought to himself, “I really should try that game sometime.” The next day, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw on the news that a man had won the $2 million jackpot playing that very game.
What are the odds? Apparently, quite good. Because recently Hoard tested his luck once again when one of the draw games in Indiana reached a record high jackpot.
“I’m in Meijer in Plainfield when I think, ‘I still need to try that game!’” Hoard says. Just as before, days later a prize of $122,000 was claimed with a ticket bought at — where else? — the Plainfield Meijer.
Though he’s never enjoyed a financial windfall, 42-year-old Hoard says he’s always considered himself “a pretty lucky dude.” His first bout with good luck came when he was just five years old.
“I was playing blocks with my friend on the front lawn when some guy snatched up my friend right before my eyes,” Hoard says. Luckily, Hoard’s mom was in law enforcement and was able to stop the abduction. But the frightening incident ignited in Hoard a desire to learn the art of self-defense.
“A kid can’t beat up a grown man, but I wanted to be able to protect myself,” says Hoard, who, as an adult went on to teach safety awareness and self-defense techniques to children at local YMCAs in Hendricks County.
Another lucky break came one day when Hoard pulled up to a green light and noticed the car in front of him wasn’t moving. He hopped out to check on the driver and saw the woman behind the wheel wasn’t breathing. It turns out she had suffered a heart attack. Hoard said a quick prayer, then began administering CPR he had learned through his YMCA training. When the EMTs arrived on the scene, they credited Hoard with saving the woman’s life.
And speaking of life, Hoard was shocked last year when his wife woke him up with the surprise greeting, “Happy Anniversary! We’ve having another baby!”
With three older children — ages 15, 12, and 10 — Hoard thought they were done growing their family when they were met with this unexpected blessing. On the day his daughter was born, however, Hoard and his wife learned that she was going to need surgery to repair an issue with her stomach. So, at just four months old, Hoard’s baby girl went under the knife for what was expected to be a three-hour procedure.
“We had no sooner finished praying when the doctor came into the waiting room to tell us he was done in just 41 minutes,” Hoard says. “Apparently, when he got into the operating room, he encountered the best-case scenario.”
This family man may not have struck it rich financially, but when it comes to the luck of life, he feels rich beyond measure.
“When I say I’m a lucky dude, I’m a lucky dude,” says Hoard, who spreads goodness, gratitude and good fortune to everyone he meets.
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