71-year-old lottery winner can’t stop yelling on the way home. ‘This can’t be real!’
A 71-year-old woman couldn’t contain her excitement when she scratched off a jackpot-winning lottery ticket.
The woman from Lapeer County, Michigan, said she purchases scratch-off tickets frequently. But that didn’t prepare her for the Michigan Lottery’s Peppermint Payout ticket she purchased at a Kroger in Lapeer.
The $5 ticket won one of the game’s two $300,000 prizes.
“I scratched the ticket on the way home from the store, and when I saw I won $300,000, I just kept yelling: ‘This can’t be real!’” the winner told lottery officials. “I felt like I was in a dream. I called my kids as soon as I got home to tell them the good news.”
Peppermint Payout offers the two top prizes, as well as eight worth $2,000.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, is in the giving mood this holiday season. She said she plans on using some of the money to help those in need, while also paying bills and completing home improvement projects.
Lapeer is about 60 miles northwest of Detroit.
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This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 3:26 PM with the headline "71-year-old lottery winner can’t stop yelling on the way home. ‘This can’t be real!’."