A Michigan man who says he lost everything during a flood last year won $2 million playing a Michigan Lottery instant game.
"Last year, I lost everything in a flood, so to win this prize is so overwhelming to me,” said the 29-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous.
According to a press release from the Michigan Lottery, the man bought his winning "Lucky 7's" ticket at Anna's Market on Jefferson in Midland, Michigan. He told the Michigan Lottery that he usually never plays $20 tickets but the ticket caught his eye because "7" is a lucky number for him.
“I scratched it off when I got back to my car. When I saw I had a match, I thought: ‘Great, I won my money back!’ When I saw I had actually won $2 million, I couldn’t stop shaking," he said. "A few years back, I won $10,000 and I thought that was my once in a lifetime shot at winning the Lottery.”
The Michigan Lottery says he chose a lump sum payment of about $1.3 million.
“Knowing my kids will be taken care of is the best feeling in the world,” the player said in the release.
The mid-May flooding that took place in the Midland region displaced thousands of people when water overtook two dams in the area. The devastating floods are estimated to have damaged 2,500 buildings and caused $200 million in damage.
This story was originally published by Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit.
