Speculation swirled around Alma, Michigan, in mid-December when state lottery officials announced a $1 million winning Powerball ticket had been sold at the Speedway station on North Alger Road.
But no one came forward with the winning ticket — until now.
A Kent County man walked around with the $1 million ticket in his wallet for two months before realizing he was a big winner, Lottery officials said in a press release.
Daniel Chase, of Alto, won $1 million when his Powerball ticket matched the five white balls drawn on Dec. 16: 9, 10, 32, 42, and 55. He bought his lucky ticket at the Speedway convenience store on North Alger Road in Alma.
Alto is about 20 miles southeast of Grand Rapids.
"I always put my tickets in my wallet after I buy them and then I'll check them after I've had them for a while," said Chase. "I like waiting because it lets the dream of being a winner go on a little longer, and this time the dream came true."
Chase, 53, decided to clean out his wallet last week and that is when he came across three Powerball tickets.
"I checked them on the Lottery's website and when I saw I had matched five numbers, I thought I was looking at the wrong drawing," said Chase. "When my wife got home, I had her look at the ticket and when she said she thought it was a winner, we decided to take it to Meijer and scan the ticket.
"When we scanned the ticket, it said to see the clerk. We decided to scan the other tickets to see if they gave the same message, and when they didn't it started sinking in that we had a big winner."
It wasn't until the Chases got back home and read an article on the Lottery's website about a $1 million winning Powerball ticket being sold in Alma that they really began believe they had won.
"It's so hard to believe we won $1 million," said Theresa Chase. "For the last few days, we just look at each other and smile."
The couple visited Lottery headquarters last week to claim the big prize. With their windfall, the Chases plan to help their children, complete some home improvements, and do some traveling with their family.
"This is still sinking in for me, and I couldn't be more thankful," Chase said.
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ALL YOU NEED IS 1 ( $$$$$$$$ ) LOTTERY TICKET AND A DREAM.
http://milotteryconnect.com/2016/02/19/kent-county-man-wins-1-million-powerball-prize-from-the-michigan-lottery/
Congratulations Daniel
That's why tickets are lost. Many have this cavalier attitude when playing the lottery. If you play and there's a million dollars involved, one should treat those tickets as if they are worth millions. And don't go to the store with a million dollar winner, go straight to the lottery headquarters!
Congratulations Daniel and Theresa Chase! I wish I was in your shoes.
Congrats to the Chases
Did he not buy any more tickets since Dec 15?
Who doesn't check their tickets right after a drawing?
This reminded me of Donald Lawson for some reason. Remember him? He won $337 mil in PB in 2012, a self described hillbilly who went looking for women on the dating sites. Googled around to see what had happened and cant find a thing. So, a lot smarter than people thought.
I don't remember him @ all, but will go to the Powerball winners site in a minute.
<snip>, he bought the ticket on my birthday!
There he was on the winner's stories page of Powerball. Once I read that he called his Sister I remembered the whole story. I too couldn't find out about him either, kind of creepy. Bunch of obits but didn't glance @ but a few and none fit his profile.
I prefer subscriptions, you can't lose any tickets, plus it is also a very convenient way to play.
Why even bother buying a ticket if you are not going to check it?. Always check your tickets immediately after the draw.
Is this chick any relation?
Fresh-faced Nigella Lawson, 56, looks slimmer than ever as she shows off her trim hourglass body in figure-hugging jumpsuit in Miami
This looks like the celebrity chef that had her name dragged in the mud, not the $337mil lottery winner.
Congrats Dan !
as long as you check it before it's too late what difference does it make. now he gets more mileage out of his 600k+ after taxes. appears that they didn't starve because they didn't cash it sooner. think about how much would have been gone by now if he had checked earlier. i've heard of other winners not cashing until near the expiration date in fear of spending it too quickly.
Glad he won, sad he didn't put an extra dollar down for Powerplay=$2 million.
Iagree. I always want to know the winning numbers as soon as possible after the draw. Keeping a ticket in one's wallet for days, weeks , months is taking a big chance as far as I'm concerned. Anything can happen.....wallet lost or misplaced.......wallet left on a table in the house when people come visiting and perhaps someone you don't know very well.....or even a relative goes through your wallet and sees the ticket and takes it. Unless it is signed, etc., a big stink can come up when you find out later that they cashed it. Or maybe the house catches on fire one night and you have to save your family and rush out while the ticket burns up....or maybe you are involved in a terrible accident and your wallet becomes misplaced in the car and the wrecker driver finds it and goes through it, sees the ticket and calls to check the numbers, then makes the wallet disappear. If you never checked the numbers, you don't know it is a winning ticket, or that it was your ticket, when he cashes it., etc., etc. These and multifold other possibilities are what goes through my mind when I hear these stories.
Way to go Daniel don't spend it all in one place and invest some of that powerball money on retirement. Also how dose one keep a lottery ticket wrinkle free in a wallet if you have to scan the recite to confirm its a winner?
Exactamundo!
Wish I could find something like that in my wallet. Ususally I have couple of one dollar bills and possibly a Five, sometimes a "Handy Andy".
Unfortunately, I check my numbers after each draw.
"But It could be tonight!" On the Mega that is.
Please do not Give IT Away, keep it! lol
And how do you like that, anyway?
It was just a settin' in his wallet all this time.
I'm sure glad he decided to clean the junk out now, and not 10 months down the road.
Yeah, these stories get stranger by the month. Awhile ago, a guy decides to " clear out the garbage off his back seat" and lo & beyond- he finds a ticket worth a ton of money. Then there's the guy who used his ticket as part of a Christmas decoration, only to find out it's a winning ticket. Unbelievable. .....