A quick stop at a Mancelona convenience store turned into a multimillion-dollar shock for a 66-year-old Charlevoix County woman who initially thought the lottery scanner was broken. Instead, she learned she had matched five white balls in the Millionaire For Life drawing and was in line for a $2.2 million lump-sum payout. The winning play traces to the May 21 drawing, and the player, who chose to remain anonymous, later traveled to Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing to claim the prize.
Ticket and winning numbers
According to Michigan Lottery, the winning white-ball numbers were 03-15-16-24-28, and the ticket was sold at Mancelona North EZ Mart, 8150 US Highway 131 Northeast in Mancelona. The lottery reports this is the first time a Michigan player has won the second-tier $100,000-a-year-for-life prize since Millionaire For Life launched on Feb. 22. Michigan Lottery materials also note that Millionaire For Life costs $5 per play and drawings are held daily at 11:15 p.m.
How she learned she’d won
Per ClickOnDetroit, the woman scanned her ticket at the store and saw a message instructing her to contact the lottery office. Thinking something might be off, she went out to her car and checked the numbers online. After realizing she had matched all five numbers, she shouted, “I just won $2.2 million!” and did a happy dance in her car, the outlet reports. She chose the one-time $2.2 million lump sum when claiming her prize at Lottery headquarters and told the station she plans to buy a house, a car, and a boat.
What the prize pays and next steps
The Millionaire For Life game awards $100,000 a year for life to players who match the five white balls, with a $2.2 million cash option, according to the Powerball report. Winners of prizes over $100,000 must claim in person at the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing and have one year from the drawing to do so, per Michigan Lottery. By choosing the lump sum, the winner took the cash option instead of annuity payments.
