LANSING, April 15, 2008 – An easy pick Mega Millions ticket proved lucky for Melissa Orlando of Monroe. She matched four white ball numbers and the gold Mega ball number in the March 21 drawing to win a $10,000 prize!

The winner, who has played the Lottery for the past 20 years, hid the winning ticket in her wallet prior to cashing it in at the Lottery’s Dearborn Heights office. She plans to use the money for bills and college tuition for her son.

Orlando purchased the lucky ticket at Monroe Sports Center, 15425 S. Dixie Hwy., in Monroe.

Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game in Michigan, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at nearly 11,000 Michigan 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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