LANSING, June 9, 1999 – The thought of actually possessing a winning Lottery ticket seemed unbelievable for Larry Sturza of Whitmore Lake – but it was true!  He matched the first five numbers in the June 4 Big Game drawing to win the $150,000 prize.  That day’s winning numbers were: 2, 5, 24, 33, 39 and the Big Money Ball number was 12.

"I watched the drawing on WDIV-TV 4 and couldn’t believe that I had matched the first five numbers," Sturza said.  "I got a winning number printout from the store to verify that I had really matched all five.  My wife and I were completely overwhelmed – it was absolutely unbelievable!"

The Whitmore Lake man said he has been playing Michigan Lottery games for the past 26 years, and he thoroughly enjoys the wide variety of games the Lottery offers.

Sturza purchased the winning Big Game ticket at Clark #2118, 66 6 Mile Road, in Whitmore Lake.  Prior to turning the winning ticket in at Lottery headquarters in Lansing, Sturza kept it in a safe place.

The avid golfer said he plans to use his winnings to set up a college fund for his children and save for his retirement.  The lucky man offered the following words of wisdom to other Lottery hopefuls: "Don’t give up – someone’s got to hit it!"

The Big Game is a multistate lottery game in Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.  Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at more than 6,400 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.

Big Game drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The next Big Game drawing is Friday, June 11, with an expected jackpot of $5 million.

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