LANSING, November 21, 2007 – Mark Smith is going green after winning a $25,000 prize from the Lottery’s Evergreen instant game.

The lucky regular instant Lottery player almost ran off the road after discovering his big win. He told Lottery officials that he still couldn’t believe his good fortune.

He hid the ticket in his wife’s purse prior to cashing it in at the Lottery’s Sterling Heights office. The 51-year-old plans to purchase a new vehicle with his prize money. He likes to fish and hunt in his free time.

Smith purchased the lucky winning ticket at J & D Market, 5000 E. Peck Rd., in Croswell.

Evergreen is just one of many Michigan Lottery Instant tickets available at nearly 11,000 Lottery retailers statewide.

Over 95 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to retailers. In fiscal year 2007, the contribution to schools was $748.9 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $14.3 billion to education in Michigan.

For additional information, please visit the Lottery’s Web site at https://www.michiganlottery.com/.

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