‘Prankster’ wins Mega Millions lottery prize in Iowa — but daughters don’t believe him

An Iowa father had a hard time convincing his three adult daughters that he had won $1 million during a recent Mega Millions drawing.

“I’m a bit of a prankster,” Michael “Hoogie” Hoogerwerf told Iowa Lottery officials when claiming his prize on July 17. “But I just talked with them personally and said, ‘It’s true, it’s real.’”

His daughters went with him to claim the big win, but even then, they “remained good-naturedly leery,” according to a news release from the Iowa Lottery.

“I believe him now, absolutely,” his daughter, Melissa Heeren, told lottery officials. “Or this is the best prank ever.”

But this time, her 70-year-old dad wasn’t tricking the three siblings. He really had won big during the June 23 Mega Millions drawing.

Hoogerwerf, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran in Davenport, said he learned about his lucky prize during a charity motorcycle ride.

The manager of Smokin’ Joe’s Tobacco & Liquor Outlet — where Hoogerwerf is a “regular” — had given him a call, according to the news release. She told him that the store had sold a $1 million-winning ticket and thought he might be the winner.

Hoogerwerf pulled his ticket from his wallet, and as the store manager read the numbers out loud, he realized he had won big.

“And then she about passed out, I think,” Hoogerwerf said when claiming the prize. “She was more excited than I was. I just kind of took it in stride. Apparently though, on the ride home, our ride was done at that point, so we left the group and went on home. And I did release the handlebar and do a fist pump — twice.”

Hoogerwerf plans to use his newfound cash to renovate his home and invest, officials said.

Davenport is located along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 11:53 AM with the headline "‘Prankster’ wins Mega Millions lottery prize in Iowa — but daughters don’t believe him."