A Mecosta County man had a birthday he’ll never forget, when he won $400 a week for life on a Cash For Life ticket he received as a present.

The player, who chose to remain anonymous, received a birthday card from his sister with three Cash For Life tickets inside.

“It was like every other birthday,” said the player. “I’m not a big Lottery player, but every year my sister sends me a few tickets for my birthday. I’ve won a few bucks over the years, but nothing like this.”

The winning ticket was purchased at the Meijer store, located at 1201 Lears Road in Petoskey.

“I sat down with my wife to have lunch and told her scratch the tickets since she always has better luck than I do,” said the player. “It turns out, I was right.

“She scratched off the ticket and we had to keep re-reading the instructions because we thought what we were seeing was too good to be true. We eventually called the Lottery office and they confirmed the good news.”

The player chose to take his prize as a one-time lump sum cash payment of $442,842. With his winnings, the player plans to give a portion to his sister and invest in his retirement.

“For us, this big win will make our retirement more secure, and we’re excited to enjoy it together,” the player said.

Michigan Lottery instant game tickets are available at retailers across the state.