Persistence paid off – to the tune of $4.5 million – for a Macomb County woman who won a Lotto 47 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery.
The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, matched all six numbers drawn Wednesday night – 10-19-28-41-43-44 – to win the big prize. She bought her winning ticket at the CVS Pharmacy, located at 43611 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights.
“I’ve been buying Lottery tickets at the CVS for years, and can’t believe I finally got a jackpot winner,” said the player. “Each day on a break from work, my friend and I would go to the CVS to purchase tickets. We’d always talk about what would happen if we got a huge winner. Now it’s time to make those things happen.”
The player realized she was the jackpot winner on Thursday afternoon during her usual trip to CVS to purchase tickets.
“We went to the store on our break like we always do,” said the player. “I scanned a few tickets from my purse, and when I scanned the Lotto 47 ticket the machine said to see the clerk. I gave the clerk the ticket to scan and she said I needed to call the Lottery. That’s when I knew I had something.
“I asked the clerk to print the winning numbers so I could see if I had won the jackpot. When I saw my ticket matched all six numbers I started screaming, crying and celebrating with my friend.”
Once they left the CVS, the player called her husband to tell him they had just become millionaires.
“He thought I was kidding,” said the player. “He asked what my numbers were and he went online to check them on the Lottery’s website. When he realized we had won $4.5 million he was in shock.”
The player chose to receive her jackpot prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $2.9 million rather than an annuity. She collected her prize today at Lottery headquarters in Lansing.
With her winnings, the player plans to pay off her family’s bills, pay for college for her children, and take a family vacation.
“Winning the jackpot has been absolutely crazy, I think I’ve been shaking ever since I found out I won. We have three college-aged children, and knowing that we can pay for their education expenses without sinking into debt is such a burden lifted off our shoulders,” the player said.
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 and 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. Lotto 47 drawings take place on Wednesday and Saturday at 7:29 p.m. Tickets may be purchased until 7:08 p.m. on the day of the drawing.
