Fantasy 5 winner, Steven Stepp, of Adrian poses for a photo with his dog C.J. after collecting his $100,000 jackpot.
An Adrian man says winning a $100,000 Fantasy 5 jackpot came at just the right time for him and his mother.
The winner, 57-year-old Steven Stepp, says he has been doing his best to make ends meet and provide for his mother, Orta, since he began taking care of her full-time in 2000. Recently, he experienced some financial challenges and wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to serve as his mother’s caretaker.
“The first thing I am going to do with my winnings is pay off some debt and put a new roof on our house,” Stepp, an Air Force veteran said Wednesday at Lottery headquarters. “Winning this prize has been a blessing and will go a long way towards helping me take care of mom.”
Stepp regularly plays Fantasy 5 on Sundays when he has an extra $5 in his pocket. On June 22, he purchased his winning ticket at the West Pointe Party Shoppe located at 1551 West Maumee Street in Adrian. Fittingly, he played a series of lucky numbers that included his and his mother’s birth dates. He matched all five numbers drawn that evening – 08-09-18-23-30 – to win the $100,000 jackpot.
“I still haven’t told my mom that I won the jackpot,” he said. “I know she will ask how I got the money to do the work around the house and I will surprise her with the good news then.”
Fantasy 5 players have been on a torrid streak, winning 33 jackpots over the past 14 weeks, including Stepp’s jackpot. Jackpot winners during this streak have collected more than $4.8 million.
The winning ticket holders from the April 26 and May 17 Fantasy 5 drawings have yet to claim those prizes. The lucky ticket holders should contact the Lottery’s Public Relations Division at (517) 373-1237 to set up an appointment to claim their prize. Tickets for Fantasy 5 are valid for one year from the drawing date. Prizes of more than $50,000 must be claimed at the Lottery headquarters in Lansing.
Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot guaranteed to start at $100,000. Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m.
