LANSING, MI -- A father gave his daughter the gift of a lifetime during a white elephant gift exchange last month.
“My cousin purchased the ticket for the white elephant gift exchange at our family Christmas party,” said 25,-year-old Emily Hickox. “My dad actually won the ticket in the gift exchange, and I won the gift he brought, a flashlight. He wanted his gift back, so we made an agreement after the game to trade gifts.
“I scratched the ticket off on Christmas, which also happens to be my birthday, and thought I won $50,000. I downloaded the Michigan Lottery app and created an account to check the ticket on the app scanner. I was expecting to see $50,000, so when I saw the extra zero, I was speechless! I couldn’t comprehend that I’d just won $500,000!”
The winning ticket was sold at the Meijer store, located at 2799 10 Mile Road in Rockford.
Hickox, who lives in Indiana, visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing recently to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans on buying a new car and investing. Hickox also plans giving money to her cousin who purchased the ticket and of course, her parents.
“We love hearing all of the fun and exciting ways our players find out they’ve won big prizes, and a win like this is what every Lottery player dreams of!” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “Winning a prize of $500,000 is a thrill in itself, combined with the excitement of winning on Christmas, and your birthday, from a ticket you received as a gift makes it even more incredible. Congratulations Emily!”
For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.
The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Breakfast Club lottery club which claimed a $842 million jackpot in June 2024. The members plan to use the money to buy a home in Florida and travel.
And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a Mega Millions winner worth $1 million sold in Southfield in 2023 went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.
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