A Macomb County man turned family birthdates into a huge Lucky For Life payday from the Michigan Lottery.
John Cichowlas, of Chesterfield Township, matched the five white balls drawn May 22 – 07-11-25-31-46 – to win $25,000 a year for life. He bought his winning ticket online at MichiganLottery.com.
“We had just gotten back into town from my son’s baseball tournament, and I decided to buy a ticket using birthdates of some family members,” said Cichowlas. “When I logged in to my account and saw that I had matched five numbers I couldn’t believe it.”
Cichowlas, 55, visited Lottery headquarters to claim his big prize. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment of $390,000, rather than annuity payments of $25,000 for 20 years or life, whichever is greater.
With his winnings, Cichowlas plans to pay some bills and then invest the remainder.
“Winning is life-changing for me and my family,” said Cichowlas. “It means some bills will get paid sooner and we can be more comfortable.”
For just $2 per play, Lucky For Life gives Lottery players a chance to win prizes ranging from $3 to a lifetime of cash. To win the game’s top prize of $1,000 a day for life, players must match all five winning numbers ranging from 1 to 48, plus one Lucky Ball ranging from 1 to 18. Players who match all five winning numbers, but not the Lucky Ball, will win $25,000 a year for life. Drawings take place at 10:38 p.m. seven days-a-week. Tickets may be purchased at Lottery retailers across the state and online at MichiganLottery.com.
