LANSING, September 17, 1998 – Four northern Michigan residents now know firsthand what it’s like to experience Lottery luck, as each recently claimed prizes ranging from $150,000 to $4.4 million! The winners include:
- An anonymous Posen man and an anonymous Alpena man, who split an $8.8 million Michigan Lotto jackpot;
- An anonymous Traverse City man, who won a $2.1 million Michigan Lotto jackpot; and
- John Stevens of Ossineke, who won $150,000 in The Big Game.
The men from Posen and Alpena matched all six winning numbers – 5, 8, 23, 24, 42 and 45 – in the August 8 Michigan Lotto drawing, worth $8.8 million! The winner from Posen chose the 25-year annuity option and collected his first installment of $176,000 (before taxes), to be followed by 24 annual installments. The winner from Alpena, on the other hand, chose the lump-sum cash option payment for his winnings. He collected a one-time prize payment of $2,286,333 – the present cash value of his share – before taxes.
"We saw the drawing on WBKB, and my wife froze and said ‘you’d better check this,’" said the Alpena man. "I don’t think in our wildest dreams we ever thought this could happen!"
The winning Michigan Lotto tickets were purchased at Val U Variety, 10698 Michigan Ave., in Posen and Alpena Oil Self Serve, 1017 W. Chisholm St., in Alpena.
The Alpena winner matched all six numbers with a free "Smartplay" wager! When a Lotto player purchases a $5, five-wager ticket for the next drawing, the player automatically receives a free "easy pick" wager for that next drawing. Now that’s playing it smart!
A 79-year-old Traverse City man was the sole winner in the August 15 Michigan Lotto drawing. That day’s winning numbers were: 7, 17, 24, 35, 38 and 39.
The winner, who requested total anonymity, chose cash-option payment on the $2.1 million jackpot. He received a one-time payment of $1,091,204 – the present cash value of his prize before taxes.
"My wife read off the numbers to me from the Traverse City Record Eagle and I realized we got the whole thing," the winner said. "I thought, ‘Wait a minute – I’ve matched all six!’ We couldn’t believe it!"
A regular Michigan Lottery player for 25 years, the winner plans to share his prize with his children, look for a larger house down South and possibly purchase a new car.
The winning "easy pick" ticket was purchased at Toms Food Markets Inc., 1201 S. Division St., in Traverse City.
In addition to the Michigan Lotto jackpot winners, John Stevens of Ossineke matched the first five numbers in the August 11 Big Game drawing. That day’s winning numbers were: 7, 31, 35, 44, 48, and the Big Money Ball number was 18.
"I was shopping in Saginaw with my family when I found out that I won," Stevens joked. "I didn’t tell my wife until we got home. I didn’t want her to make more shopping plans."
Stevens, who described himself as "just short of 70," purchased The Big Game "easy pick" ticket at Ossineke BP Inc., 11596 U.S. Highway 23 South, in Ossineke.
Tickets for the Michigan Lotto and the Big Game are available at more than 6,400 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.
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