LANSING, February 4, 2003 – Mike Wieschowski of Alpena saw 57 cents worth of pocket change turn into a $1,368 prize while playing the Michigan Lottery’s Change Play game. Wieschowski was one of six lucky winners in the December 30 Change Play drawing.

Wieschowski purchased the winning ticket at Cracker Barrel Party Store, 630 W. Chisholm St., in Alpena.

“I checked the winning numbers on the Michigan Lottery’s Web site (www.michigan.gov/lottery),” said the lucky man. “I was pleasantly surprised to learn I had won!”

Wieschowski told Lottery officials that he kept the winning ticket safely tucked in his wallet at all times prior to turning it in at a Lottery bank claim center in northern Michigan. He said he plans to use his 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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