Families who play together win together
By Kate Northrop
DAVISON, Mich. — A three-person lottery club from Michigan relied on recycling cans to purchase lottery tickets and won a $1 million Mega Millions prize.
Family members who recycle together win together — that's what happened when a three-person lottery group bought a Mega Millions ticket with change collected from recycling cans and won a $1 million prize.
On Monday, the Michigan Lottery announced that a three-person lottery club from Fenton matched all five white balls — 8, 17, 40, 60, and 70 — in the May 17, 2024 Mega Millions drawing to win the game's second-tier prize of $1 million.
One of the club members purchased a ticket at the Kroger grocery store on North State Road in Davison and explained the group's mindful method of funding their lottery purchases.
"We are family members who have been playing the lottery together for more than 30 years," a club member told the Lottery. "Whenever we take back bottles and cans, we save the money, and when we have enough, we purchase lottery tickets."
Sticking with the routine paid off, and soon the group members were experiencing a wide range of emotions.
"Shortly after the drawing, I remembered I hadn't checked our Mega Millions ticket yet, so I pulled up the winning numbers and looked the ticket over," the club member continued. "When all the numbers matched except the Mega Ball, I thought: 'I'm not seeing this right.' I had my husband look the ticket over and once he confirmed what I was seeing I called the other club member to tell her the big news. We both felt like we were going to be sick from being so nervous!"
The group visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing to claim their lucky prize, which they all plan on using to invest.
"Everyone in our club agrees that winning is a huge blessing, and it still hasn't fully sunk in for the club members yet," club representative Kenneth Baran said to Lottery officials.
Had the group matched the Mega Ball number 3, they would have won the then-$393 million jackpot.
That prize continued to increase until the drawing on June 4, 2024, after one ticket in Illinois matched all six numbers to win the $552 million jackpot. An anonymous lifetime laborer stepped forward to claim the prize one week later.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 11:00 p.m. EST for a jackpot of $31 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Very cool story! I really like stories like this, people that played for years hit big. You never know when it might be your time.
thats 4 certain 🍀
wait I played with 4 quaters nothing but cograts to them
Congrats!
I've recycled cans and played the lottery and didn't win a thing, just like thousands of others, but they never write a story about the THOUSANDS of people that lose.
People win not because they recycle cans or save kittens or have babies
They win because they get lucky.
The story always gives the win a "good feel" but the story is not the reason for the win.
Hundred of people do the same exact thing.
We all have the first day that we played the lottery - I did not win any jackpot on that first day. However, others do and bingo, they win and the story is a feel good story.
Great story, they recycled , they saved and got a win.