LANSING, January 19, 2011 – John Wilber had the winning ticket in his pocket and didn’t even know it.

Wilber, who won $250,002 in the January 14 Mega Millions drawing, kept his ticket in his pocket while working Saturday morning. “I planned on checking the ticket after work Saturday afternoon, but had no idea I was carrying around that kind of money!” Wilber explained. Fortunately, the ticket was safe until he realized its value. He then promptly put it in a safe.

Wilber plans to use his winnings to help his son out with student loans and take a vacation when he finds a good time.

Wilber’s winning easy-pick ticket was sold at Kens Buggy Stop, 106 N. Main Street, in Ovid.

Over 94 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 2010, the contribution to schools was $701.3 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $15 billion to education in Michigan.

For information on all Lottery games, please visit the Lottery’s Web site at www.michiganlottery.com.

###