LANSING, Mich. – A stop for Michigan Lottery tickets at her favorite party store led to a Waterford woman winning a $70 million Powerball jackpot.
Cristy Davis, 40, matched all of the winning numbers - 14-47-54-55-68 and the Powerball 25 - in the Feb. 12 drawing. She bought the winning ticket at the Huron Plaza Liquor, located at 694 West Huron Street in Pontiac.
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"My friend and I stopped at the party store that day to buy some Lottery," Davis said. "I bought a couple scratch offs and decided to get one Mega Millions ticket and one Powerball ticket, too.
"I was at work the next morning when my friend FaceTimed me and asked me if I had checked my ticket because the news was saying the winning ticket was bought at the Huron Plaza Liquor.
“I got off the phone and went to my truck to get the ticket. After I checked it, all could do was scream. Everyone from work came running to check on me. Once I got calmed down, my boss made sure I was able to get a ride home because there was no way I would be able to drive after learning I was a multi-millionaire.”
Davis, a mother of two and grandmother of one, talked about her big win in a remote video interview with Lottery officials during Gov. Whitmer's Stay Home, Stay Safe order in April.
"I remember when Cristy was a teenager, we were at a family gathering talking about what we would do if we ever won big in the lottery," said Davis's mother, Patricia. "She said: 'I'd get my car fixed.' Now, she'll never have to worry about having a broken-down car again."
"I am so happy for Cristy and her family," said Yousef Antoo, owner of Huron Plaza Liquor. "We are thrilled to have sold her the winning ticket and I am looking forward to sharing the $50,000 bonus commission with my employees and church, and doing some improvements at my store."
Davis chose to receive her $70 million jackpot as a one-time lump sum payment of about $50 million, rather than 30 annuity payments for the full amount. After tax withholdings, she received about $36 million.
With her winnings, Davis plans to buy a new house, a new vehicle, and then invest the remainder.
"Winning has caused me to feel overwhelmed, grateful, and relieved all at once. I won't have to live paycheck-to-paycheck any more," Davis said.
Davis is the second Waterford player to win a multimillion-dollar Lottery jackpot. In 2017, Kevin and Stephanie Blake split a $42 million Mega Millions jackpot with a Rhode Island lottery player. Blake bought his winning ticket at the 7-Eleven, located at 3461 Airport Road in Waterford.
Davis's big win marks the fifth time a Michigan player has won the Powerball jackpot since the state began offering the game in 2010. The last Michigan player to win the Powerball jackpot was Phillip Chippewa, of Suttons Bay. In September 2019, Chippewa won the game's $80 million jackpot. Davis is the fourth Michigan player to win a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot in the last five years.
In 2012, Donald Lawson, of Lapeer, won $337 million playing the Powerball game. Lawson's jackpot win holds the record for the largest Lottery prize ever paid in Michigan.
Powerball plays may be purchased for $2 each at Lottery retailers across the state and online at MichiganLottery.com. A “Power Play” option that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times to a maximum of $2 million may be added to any Powerball play for only $1.