LANSING, May 22, 2000 — Jeffrey Birner of Cleveland, Ohio recently arrived at Michigan Lottery headquarters in a stretch limousine to collect the $150,000 prize he won after matching the first five numbers in the May 9 Big Game drawing! That day’s winning numbers were: 1, 2, 12, 33, 37 and the Big Money Ball number was 4.

"I saw the winning numbers while watching television at home," Birner said. "I ran around screaming when I saw that I had matched five numbers! I told my girlfriend right away that I had won. Then I called my mother to verify that the prize was really $150,000."

His arrival in the limousine at Lottery headquarters in Lansing was just the beginning of the 28-year-old winner’s celebratory activities.

"I was so excited about winning I thought it would be fun to ride from Cleveland to Lansing in a limo," Birner said. "I am planning on celebrating the win with my friends in a well-known bar in Cleveland when I get home!"

Birner, a bill collector, purchased the winning Big Game "easy pick" ticket at Food Town Plus #42, 850 S. Monroe Street, in Monroe. Prior to turning the ticket in at Lottery headquarters, the winner said he "stayed awake all night with it in his hand."

The lucky man, who enjoys shopping and investing in the stock market in his free time, said he plans to use part of his winnings to pay off his car and has not yet decided what to do with the rest of his new-found wealth.

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.

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