LANSING, July 19, 2002 – An Ypsilanti woman recently experienced a little Lottery luck upon scracthing off a Michigan Lottery "High Stakes" instant ticket! She could hardly believe her eyes when she revealed a $200,000 top prize.

The winning ticket was purchased at Marias Italian Bakery, 3344 S. Grove St., in Ypsilanti.

"I scratched off the ticket at the party store right after I purchased it," the lucky winner said. "When I realized I had a winning ticket, I ran straight home. News spreads quickly in our neighborhood, and I wanted to keep it a secret as long as possible!"

The 44-year-old lady, who requested anonymity, said she kept the ticket pressed between the pages of a book and hidden in a basket of yarn to ensure its safety before turning it in at Lottery headquarters in Lansing. The winner, who enjoys working on craft projects in her free time, added that she plans to use her winnings to purchase land, a home and a new car. There is no doubt she and her husband will enjoy their recent windfall!

The winner offered the following words of encouragement to other Lottery hopefuls: "If you don’t play, you can’t win! Don’t ever say never!"

"High Stakes" is just one of many Michigan Lottery instant games available at more than 9,000 Lottery retailers statewide.

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