Michigan’s newest millionaire, Jeff LaBar, has played the Lotto 47 game for as long as he can recall and knows he’ll vividly remember his $3.3 million winning ticket for the rest of his life.
Lotto 47 winner, Jeff LaBar, poses for a photo with his wife Heidi and dog Bailey.
LaBar matched all six winning numbers from the May 21 drawing – 14-18-23-28-37-40 – to win the big jackpot. He bought the winning ticket at his usual spot, the Shell station owned by Lakeshore Oil Company at 1028 W. U.S. Highway 2 in Manistique. LaBar elected to receive his winnings in a one-time lump sum payment of more than $2.1 million.
Manistique in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a tight-knit community, so when word of a winning ticket sold at the local Shell station surfaced everyone was wondering who the lucky winner could be.
“My brother was the one to tell me that someone in our area had won,” said LaBar. “I thought ‘That’s really good for them.’ I didn’t even think to check my ticket until he asked if I was the winner. I only checked my ticket once and I didn’t have to look again. It was a total rush, there were a lot of emotions and a lot of tears when I found out I had won.”
The jackpot couldn’t have come at a better time for LaBar and his wife, Heidi. After some unfortunate luck, the couple’s home fell into foreclosure and they just recently got themselves back on their feet. Their winnings will go a long way to making them comfortable for a long time to come.
“I’ve played Lotto 47 for a long time and have prayed about hitting the jackpot,” said LaBar. “God has truly answered my prayers and I am so thankful for his blessings.”
LaBar plans to continue operating his chicken farm, but is going to use a portion of his winnings to take his wife to Hawaii and the southeast part of the United States to visit family.
Each Lotto 47 play is only $1. Players select six numbers from one to 47 for a chance to win a jackpot starting at $1 million that grows until someone wins it. For an additional $1 per game, players may add EZMatch to their ticket for a chance to win up to $500 instantly.
