DETROIT, September 20, 1997 – Homer resident Ricky Siebert, a shipping clerk with Hi-Lex Controls, packaged up a $10,000 win Saturday night on "Road to Riches," the Michigan Lottery’s weekly television game show. He also won the $250 Confetti Cash bonus in the second round of game play.
Siebert, 27, plans to split his winnings with his mother and make a down payment on a new home. "I would also like to take a trip to Las Vegas," he said. Siebert enjoys watching and playing sports, especially bowling and baseball, in his free time.
On "Road to Riches" where all roads lead to prize money, contestants select travel symbols from the "Boulevard of Bucks," "Leisure Lane," "Easy Street" and "Road to Riches" game boards. The contestant winning the closest amount to $1,000 without going over in the first four rounds advances to the final round – the home of the big vault. The player then chooses the correct key to open the vault. If successful on the first try, the player wins $50,000. Subsequent tries bring prizes of $20,000, $10,000 or $5,000. Other bonus prizes include instant cash bonuses and a Caribbean cruise for two.
The other "Road to Riches" contestants had these plans for their winnings:
- Nora D. Siebert, 58, of Homer, won $900. The die caster with Teleflex said she will pay the balances on her car and truck with her winnings and put some into a retirement fund. Siebert spends her free time camping and traveling.
- Rickey Pettey, 36, of Burton, won $700. A production worker with General Motors, Pettey said he will use his winnings to pay bills, take a trip to Florida and remodel his home. His favorite pastimes include softball and deer hunting.
- Alex Hureski, 70, of Redford, won $1,000. The retired Ameritech employee said he will put his winnings toward his granddaughter’s education and take a trip to Las Vegas. Hureski also won the $100 Quick Cash bonus in the first round of game play. He spends his spare time building computers and attending computer shows.
- Billy Garcia, 50, of Chesterfield, won $500. A line technician with General Motors, Garcia said he may take a trip to Florida and pay bills with his winnings. His favorite hobbies include fishing on Lake St. Clair and collecting baseball cards.
- Dorothy Brown, 66, of Ann Arbor, won $800. The bookkeeper with College Shoe Repair and Hockey Equipment said she will use her winnings to pay bills and take a trip to Europe. Brown enjoys watching hockey, football and movies, and traveling in her spare time.
Contestants who will appear on the Saturday, September 27, show are: Joanne Michalik, of Romulus; Kenneth Haase, of Rockwood; Norman B. Allen, of Flushing; Marilyn Carlisle, of White Lake; Arnold Oleinick, of Southfield; and Lillian L. Markiw, of Kentwood.
All "Road to Riches" contestants receive full "star" treatment, including limousine service for travel around Detroit, accommodations at the Doubletree Hotel-Detroit and a luncheon at The Whitney Restaurant. Before the show, each contestant visits a television makeup artist and is photographed with the show’s hosts, Chuck Gaidica and Aggie Usedly. This week, on-air personality Jim Harper of WNIC-FM, hosted for Chuck Gaidica.
The weekly show stems from the Michigan Lottery’s instant games. Players can enter a drawing to be a contestant on the "Road to Riches" show by sending in three non-winning tickets, one from each of three different instant games. Six entries are randomly drawn every week.
"Road to Riches" airs on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. on a statewide network of nine stations including: WBKB-TV 11, Alpena; WOTV-TV 41, Battle Creek; WDIV-TV 4, Detroit; WJMN-TV 3, Escanaba/Marquette; WNEM-TV 5, Flint/Saginaw; WLAJ-TV 53, Lansing; WMKG-TV 40, Muskegon; WGTQ-TV 8, Sault Ste. Marie; and WGTU-TV 29, Traverse City.
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