Residents of the small town of Mitchell, Illinois, might be walking a little taller today after a local convenience store sold a Mega Millions ticket worth a cool $1 million. The lucky ticket was purchased at 508 Variety Shop, nestled on 508 E. Chain of Rocks Road in the tiny community not far from St. Louis, with a populous teetering just over a thousand souls.
In a jackpot moment that's put Mitchell on the map, the ticket nailed all five numbers in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing - 2-10-42-49-54, plus a Megaplier number of 13, according to CBS Chicago. 508 Variety Shop's owner, Amber Ronk, shared her excitement about the big win in town. "Mitchell is very small town, blink and you might miss it. I am so excited for the winner," she remarked in a statement obtained by CBS.
This isn't just a victory lap for the anonymous big winner; the retailer is set for a payday, too. The Illinois Lottery will shell out a cool $10,000 to the shop for selling the winning ticket. That’s a tidy 1 percent bonus of the prize amount.
Ronk divulged to FOX 32 Chicago, her plans to spend some of the windfall. "Owning a business can be stressful and every day have its challenges," she admitted. "I am hoping to spend some of the bonus on a vacation with my family, so I can enjoy some quality time with my husband and kids."
The winning streak wasn't just contained to Illinois either. Mega Millions revealed that two other million-dollar prizes were claimed by players in Michigan and South Carolina in the same draw. Meanwhile, with everyone's eyes looking ahead, the next jackpot is estimated to balloon to a staggering $236 million. The next drawing is on the docket for Friday night, keeping the dream alive for fortune seekers. Who knows? The next millionaire could be from any corner of this vast nation.
