A Westland woman turned a few losing instant lottery tickets into a life-changing win. Valerie Williams, 65, won a $1 million prize as part of the Michigan Lottery's $1,000,000 Electric Giveaway live event that took place at Comerica Park on Sept. 19.
The event featured five contestants who'd submitted losing Electric Family instant tickets through the Michigan Lottery app.
"I was scanning my Electric tickets on the Michigan Lottery app to check them, but it wasn't until a few days later that I realized I earned entries into a second chance giveaway," Williams said. "When I saw an incoming call from the Michigan Lottery one day, I was hesitant to answer because I assumed it was a scam, but I ended up answering to see what it was about. I was shocked to find out that I was chosen as a contestant in the $1,000,000 Electric Giveaway!
"I was nervous and excited as the wheel was spinning and couldn't believe it when it made one last click and landed on my color. All I kept thinking to myself was: 'No way!' It was a great feeling and I'm still in shock."
The giveaway took place in between an inning of the baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves. Each contestant was assigned a color and a wheel was spun. The arrow landed on green, making Williams the big winner.
"I haven't made any big plans with the money yet because I'm still trying to get things figured out," said Williams. "Eventually, me and my husband plan to use some of the winnings to go on vacation."
A video recap of the event, including contestant information, and the wheel spin can be found on the Michigan Lottery's YouTube page.
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 Powerball winner worth $250,000 sold in Bloomfield Hills in 2024 went unclaimed. That money went to the state's School Aid Fund.
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