Patience paid off – to the tune of $1 million – for a Saginaw man who regularly plays Powerball.
Richard Martinez, 72, matched the five white balls – 05-12-34-45-56 – in the Aug. 15 drawing to win the big prize. He bought his winning ticket at the 7-Eleven, located at 7970 Gratiot Road in Saginaw.
“I’ve played Powerball for years,” said Martinez. "I play just about every draw because you never know when you might win.
“When I found out I had won $1 million, I stayed pretty calm. I’m a Marine and I always stay pretty calm. Nothing good happens when you get too excited.”
Martinez visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to share with his family.
“It’s a great feeling to know I can help my three kids get out of debt,” Martinez said.
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.
The Powerball drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday and may be watched live online at: http://www.powerball.com. Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.