Wayne County Woman Wins $500,000 Playing the Michigan Lottery’s Blazing Hot 7’s Instant Game

Posted on March 13, 2023 by MI-Lottery

Winning ticketA Wayne County woman got the surprise of a lifetime when what she thought was a non-winning ticket ended up being a $500,000 winning Blazing Hot 7’s ticket.

The 50-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased her winning ticket at the CVS pharmacy, located at 15240 Southfield Road in Allen Park.

“I was visiting my mom and decided to stop and purchase a few tickets on my way home,” said the player. “I scratched the tickets later that night and I didn’t think I won anything, but I scanned them on the Lottery app to be sure. When I scanned the Blazing Hot 7’s ticket and confetti came up on the screen with a winning amount of $500,000, I was confused.

“I looked the ticket over again, which is when I realized I had overlooked ‘04’ in the ‘Your Numbers’ section. I started hyperventilating and called my mom and sister to tell them the news. They thought something bad had happened until I explained that I’d just won $500,000. I couldn’t sleep and was up all night because I was in such shock!”

The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans to take a vacation and then invest the remainder.

“Winning is such a blessing and will allow me to set myself up for a good future,” the player said.

Players have won more than $9 million playing Blazing Hot 7’s which launched in January. Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More than $24 million in prizes remain, including two $500,000 top prizes, 8 $10,000 prizes, and 16 $2,000 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at any of the 10,500 retailers across the state.

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Alpena County Woman Wins $6 Million Playing the Michigan Lottery’s $6,000,000 Jackpot Instant Game

Posted on March 10, 2023 by MI-Lottery

Winning ticketAn Alpena County woman turned a $30 prize into a $6 million top prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s $6,000,000 Jackpot instant game.

The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought her winning ticket at Perch’s IGA Foodstore, located at 1025 US Highway 23 North in Alpena.

“I have been playing the $6,000,000 Jackpot game here and there,” said the player. “I was cashing in a $30 winning ticket at the store and decided to use my winnings towards a $6,000,000 Jackpot ticket.

“I scratched the barcode right away and scanned it on the Lottery machine. I got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office, so I scratched the ticket to see what I’d won. When I saw I had won the $6 million prize, my eyes got big, and I stood there in shock. I took the ticket home to have my husband look it over and confirm what I was seeing. We called our family and friends right after to tell them the exciting news!”

The player visited Lottery headquarters recently to claim her prize. She chose to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $4.1 million rather than 30 annuity payments for the full amount. With her winnings, she plans to complete some home improvements and then invest the remainder.

Players have won more than $65 million playing $6,000,000 Jackpot which launched in December. Each $50 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $50 up to $6 million. More than $275 million in prizes remain, including two $6 million top prizes, 66 $50,000 prizes, and 468 $2,500 prizes.

Each non-winning ticket is eligible for a second chance to win a prize ranging from $500 up to $100,000. Players can enter by scanning non-winning $6,000,000 Jackpot tickets on the Michigan Lottery mobile app ticket scanner by Sept. 1, 2023. Seven more second chance drawings will be conducted. Each drawing will award:

  • One winner of $100,000
  • Five winners of $10,000
  • Twenty winners of $1,000
  • Sixty winners of $500

Players can visit MichiganLottery.com/Jackpot for complete game rules and drawing dates. The next drawing is scheduled to take place on March 30.

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Gov. Whitmer Announces Michigan Lottery’s $1.25 Billion Contribution to Support Schools Across the State

Posted on March 9, 2023 by MI-Lottery

Michigan Lottery LogoToday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Lottery to announce their $1.25 billion contribution to the School Aid Fund in fiscal year 2022. This marks the Lottery’s fourth consecutive contribution of more than $1 billion to Michigan’s schools.

“The Michigan Lottery’s contributions to our schools over the last 50 years have helped students across the state succeed,” said Governor Whitmer. “Lottery games provide Michiganders with a chance to win life-changing prizes and their purchases support local businesses and public education programs in their communities. I want to congratulate the Lottery team on their fourth consecutive contribution of more than $1 billion to schools across the state. These funds help us continue making historic investment in public education and give every student the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”

The School Aid Fund provides funding for public education, including per-pupil funding, special education, at-risk programs, early childhood education, adult education, school lunch and breakfast, career and technical education, and more.

Since 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $27 billion to the School Aid Fund, supporting public education programs throughout Michigan. In each of the last four fiscal years, the Lottery has contributed more than $1 billion to the School Aid Fund, totaling nearly $5 billion to the fund since FY19.

“During the course of its 50-year history, the Lottery has raised more than $27 billion for public education in Michigan,” said Lottery Commissioner, Brian O. Neill. “These incredible results would not be possible without the support of our players, retailers, vendors, and dedicated public-service professionals across state government.”

For each dollar spent on a Michigan Lottery ticket in FY22, approximately:
• 63 cents went to players as prizes
• 25 cents went to the School Aid Fund to support public education
• 9 cents went to commissions for retailers and vendors
• 3 cents funded the Lottery’s operations and administrative costs

Under state law, all profits from the Lottery go to the School Aid Fund. The lottery is one of several revenue sources that support public education in Michigan.

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Oakland County Woman Wins $300,000 Playing the Michigan Lottery’s Mystery Key Cashword Instant Game

Posted on March 8, 2023 by MI-Lottery

Winning ticketAn Oakland County woman’s favorite game proved lucky when she won $300,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Mystery Key Cashword instant game.

The 46-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased her winning ticket at Hollywood Super Market, located at 29200 North Campbell Road in Madison Heights.

“I have played Cashword games since they came out and they are the only instant games I play,” said the player. “I purchased a ticket while I was on break at work one day and scratched it right away. I didn’t think I won anything at first until I looked the ticket over a second time. When I realized how much I’d won, I turned bright red and a coworker asked if I was okay, so I handed him the ticket and had him look it over.

“After that, I had a couple more coworkers look the ticket over to make sure I was reading it right. Eventually, I scanned it on the Lottery app and confirmed my $300,000 prize. Winning feels unbelievable!”

The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans to pay bills and then save the remainder.

Players have won more than $19 million playing Mystery Key Cashword which launched in July. Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $300,000. More than $19 million in prizes remain, including one $300,000 top prize and 82 $1,000 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at any of the 10,500 retailers across the state.

In 2021, Lottery players won more than $1.8 billion playing instant games.

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Ingham County Educator Wins Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery

Posted on March 7, 2023 by MI-Lottery

Denise Schaffer holding $1,500 Excellence in Education checkAn Ingham County educator known for creating a caring and engaging classroom environment has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Denise Schaffer, is an elementary teacher at Wilcox Elementary. The school is part of Holt Public Schools.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a plaque, a $1,500 cash prize, and a $500 grant to their classroom, school, or school district. One of the weekly winners will be selected as the Educator of the Year and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, and WNEM-TV in Saginaw. The news segment featuring Schaffer will air this evening.

Schaffer says the opportunity to provide children with a solid foundation led her to a career in education.

“I made a mid-life career decision to become a teacher because I loved the idea of providing children with a foundation on which to build everything for the rest of their lives. That is still what motivates me today.”

Schaffer says finding ways to be creative across her curriculum is something she enjoys doing with students.

“This year, we are studying the Middle Ages, dinosaurs, and ancient Egypt. Finding ways to be creative and connect with students is something that I enjoy. We find ways to be creative together, whether that is singing a song or a special project, it helps the content come to life.”

A family member nominated Schaffer for the award. The nomination cited the classroom environment she creates for her students.

“Denise Schaffer is an 18-year veteran lower elementary educator who truly goes above and beyond. She is caring, compassionate, and engaging for all levels of students. Her happiest times are in her classroom world enjoying her students learning new skills and encouraging them to think, engage and work together on a classroom community. She is always challenging her students to explore and grow using Michigan history, zoo trips, geology, and thousands of age-appropriate reading materials to support her mission. She is a true original and a wonderful friend to her kids!”

Schaffer earned a bachelor’s degree from Albion College. She has been an educator for 18 years, all in her current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
  • Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
  • Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
  • Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
  • Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.
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