LANSING, September 23, 2002 – Greg Plagens of Trenton has been carrying around a top-prize winning Lottery ticket for almost a month and didn’t even know it! The lucky man matched the first five numbers in the August 27 Mega Millions drawing to win a $175,000 prize! The winning numbers for the August 27 drawing were: 2, 5, 11, 18, 45 and the Gold Mega Ball number was 22.

The winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven #13466, 1901 King Road, in Trenton.

"I have been carrying around the winning ticket in my wallet for almost a month and one day decided to check the numbers on the ticket," Plagens said. "At first, I thought that I had won $500, but the clerk at the store where I picked up the winning number report told me that I had won a $175,000 prize and would have to go to Lottery headquarters in Lansing to claim my winnings."

The lucky winner, who enjoys riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles in his free time, said he kept the winning ticket inside a plastic container in a file cabinet in his home to ensure its safety prior to turning it in at Lottery headquarters in Lansing. Plagens added that he plans to use his winnings to pay for his son’s college education.

The last Big Game drawing took place on Tuesday, May 14, 2002. On Wednesday, May 15, 2002, The Big Game was replaced by Mega Millions. Mega Millions is a multistate lottery game in which the following states participate: Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Washington. Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at more than 7,000 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.

Mega Millions drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, September 24, with an estimated jackpot of $30 million. For more information about Mega Millions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery or the Mega Millions Web site at www.megamillions.com.

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