LANSING, October 25, 2002 – Grace Sovia of Lincoln Park experienced a bit of beginners luck upon winning a $10,395 prize in the Michigan Lottery’s new Change Play game. Prior to purchasing the winning Change Play ticket, Sovia had never played a Michigan Lottery game!

She purchased the winning ticket at Sunbeam Donuts, 14490 Fort St., in Southgate. Sovia, a retiree who enjoys cooking in her spare time, picked up a winning number report while grocery shopping and was shocked to learn she had won!

"I was absolutely stunned to learn I had won on the first Lottery ticket I ever purchased," said Sovia.

Sovia said she kept the winning ticket in her purse at all times to ensure its safety prior to turning it in at the Lottery’s regional office in Dearborn Heights. She told Lottery officials she plans to use her winnings to pay bills.

The first Change Play drawing took place on Monday, October 14, 2002 and drawings are held every night just after 9:00 p.m. Change Play allows players to use loose change from any purchase to buy a chance to win thousands of dollars with six guaranteed winners each day. The six winning tickets are randomly selected in a computerized drawing that picks from all the unique wagers placed that day. The six winners share the prize money from that day’s drawing, and their individual winnings are proportional to the amount they wagered on the winning ticket.

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