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From cans to cash: Michigan lottery club wins $1 million using bottle, can returns to buy ticket

Club plans to invest winnings

From cans to cash: Michigan lottery club wins $1 million using bottle returns to buy ticket (Michigan Lottery)

GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – A Michigan lottery club is collectively $1 million richer after buying the winning lottery ticket using spare change from bottle and can returns.

The three-member Winfield lottery club from Fenton matched the five white balls in the Mega Millions May 17 drawing to win the $1 million. They bought the ticket at a Kroger at 700 North State Road in Davison.

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“We are family members who have been playing the Lottery together for more than 30 years,” said one of the club members. “Whenever we take back bottles and cans, we save the money, and when we have enough, we purchase lottery tickets.”

“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. 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 club plans to invest their winnings.

“Everyone in our club agrees that winning is a huge blessing, and it still hasn’t fully sunk in for the club members yet,” said the club’s representative, Kenneth Baran.


About the Author
Samantha Sayles headshot

Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint.

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