LANSING, September 17, 1999 — Virginia Wierzbicki of St. Helen was shocked to find she possessed a top prize-winning Big Game ticket! She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw that she had matched the first five numbers in the August 27 Big Game drawing to win the $150,000 prize. That day’s winning numbers were: 5, 23, 25, 47, 49 and the Big Money Ball number was 24.

"I picked up a winning number report from the store but hadn’t bothered to check my numbers because I had been so busy at work," Wierzbicki said. "It wasn’t until I saw articles about unclaimed Lottery tickets in the Roscommon County Herald and the Houghton Lake Resorter that I decided to check my numbers!"

The 52-year-old winner said she has been playing Michigan Lottery games for the past 27 years and she enjoys the wide variety of games the Lottery offers. Wierzbicki purchased the winning Big Game "easy pick" ticket at Hub Super Market Inc., 2545 S. Gladwin Road, in Prudenville.

Wierzbicki, a prep cook at Maple Valley Restaurant, said she plans to use her winnings to pay off her house and travel to Germany to see her son.

The lucky lady offered the following words of wisdom to other Lottery hopefuls: "Make sure you check your tickets!"

That is good advice that Lottery players all across the state should follow. One lucky player is holding a winning Big Game ticket worth $150,000! The winning Big Game ticket was sold at Carters #09, 8135 W. Houghton Lake Drive, in Houghton Lake for the September 29, 1998 drawing.

Time is running out very quickly for the winner! Michigan Lottery on-line prizes are valid for a period of one year from the draw date. The winner has until the close of business, Wednesday, September 29, 1999 to claim his or her prize. If prizes are not claimed before the expiration date, the Michigan Lottery’s share of the money is transferred to the state School Aid Fund, which supports Michigan’s public education program (K-12).

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 tonight (Friday), September 17, with an expected jackpot of $32 million.

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