LANSING, April 14, 1999 – Joanne Stanko of Croswell is $150,000 richer after winning a top prize in the Michigan Lottery’s Big Game! Stanko matched the first five numbers in the April 6 drawing to win the $150,000 prize. That day’s winning numbers were: 12, 17, 22, 33, 44 and the Big Money Ball number was 25.
"I heard the winning numbers on the radio and checked my tickets right away," Stanko said. "I called the store to verify that I had heard the numbers correctly. I screamed when I realized I had really won! My co-workers thought I saw a mouse!"
The Croswell woman said she has been playing Michigan Lottery games for the past five years, and she enjoys the wide variety of games the Lottery offers.
Stanko purchased the winning Big Game ticket at Lakeport Market, 7096 3rd St., in Lakeport. Prior to turning the winning ticket in at Lottery headquarters in Lansing, she kept it in a safe- deposit box. The lucky lady said she plans to use part of her winnings to take a cruise but hasn’t yet decided what to do with the rest of the money.
The Big Game is a six-state lottery game which held its first drawing in September 1996. Lotteries in Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia contribute to the joint prize pool. Big Game drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The next Big Game drawing will be conducted Friday, April 16 – the expected jackpot is $10 million.
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