Canceled vacation results in woman’s huge lottery prize. ‘I think I just won a lot’
One family’s altered vacation plans led to a six-figure payday, Michigan lottery officials said.
Traci Verbowski, 50, of Kawkawlin said she “really wanted to go on vacation” with her family a few weekends ago, but they stayed home and went out to dinner instead, according to a Sept. 25 news release from Michigan Lottery Connect.
On the way home from dinner, Verbowski stopped to cash a few winning Detroit Lions instant game tickets, according to lottery officials.
She purchased a few more of the same game and scratched them at home later that night, she told lottery officials.
The Bay County woman said that upon seeing her prize, she yelled “I think I just won a lot of money!”
She’d won a top prize of $500,000, according to the release.
“I showed my family the ticket and no one could believe what they were seeing,” Verbowski said, per the release. “I haven’t slept a full night since.”
“I’m so glad we ended up not going on vacation that weekend, because if we did, I wouldn’t be here claiming $500,000!” she said.
The lifelong Detroit Lions fan told lottery officials that it was “extra exciting” to win on a game inspired by her favorite football team.
Verbowski, who purchased her winning ticket at a 7-Eleven in Bay City, plans to get a boat and then save the remainder of her prize money.
Bay City is about a 115-mile drive northwest from Detroit.
