A Grand Traverse County man is looking forward to living debt-free after winning a $1 million Mega Millions prize from the Michigan Lottery.

Kyle Becker, of Interlochen, matched the five white balls in the Oct. 27 drawing to win $1 million: 11-32-43-57-70. He bought his winning ticket at Miracle Mile E-Z Mart, located at 509 Munson Avenue in Traverse City.

“I usually buy a Mega Millions ticket every few weeks,” said Becker. “I was on my way to my property to hunt early one morning and stopped to check my Mega Millions ticket. I got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office when I scanned it, so I asked the clerk what that meant. She told me I must have won big, and when I asked how big, she thought maybe a couple thousand dollars.

“When I got in my truck, I looked up the winning numbers and saw I matched five for a $1 million prize. When I told my wife how much we won, she didn’t believe me until I sent her a picture of the ticket. I was having a hard time believing it myself, but I couldn’t verify the prize until Monday morning when the Lottery office opened. I still can’t believe it’s real even though I am here claiming the prize!

“Winning means being debt-free and having a nice financial cushion for me and my family.”

Becker, 37, recently visited headquarters to claim his prize. With his winnings, he plans to pay bills and live debt-free.

Mega Millions drawings take place each Tuesday and Friday evening. Each Mega Millions play is only $2. For an additional $1 per play, players have the opportunity to add a “Megaplier” that can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to five times. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.