A dedicated three-person Michigan lottery club, composed of family members from Fenton, has won the $1 million life-changing prize in the May 17, 2024, drawing. As reported by local press, they matched all five white balls, 8, 17, 40, 60, and 70, securing the second-tier prize.

 

Despite their big win, the group was just one number away from an even larger fortune. Had they matched the Mega Ball number 3, they would have claimed the then-$393 million jackpot. Instead, they were left with a remarkable second-tier prize — a combination of both luck and timing.

 

“We’ve been playing the lottery together for more than three decades,” shared one of the club members. “When I saw the numbers match except the Mega Ball, I couldn’t believe it. I had my husband double-check, and we both felt so nervous, like we were going to be sick!”

 

The club credits their modest strategy of recycling cans for the win. “We save all the money from returning bottles and cans, and when we have enough, we buy lottery tickets,” one club member explained. Their persistence paid off in a big way when their ticket, purchased at a Kroger in Davison, hit the game’s second-tier prize.

 

The group recently visited Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing to claim their prize, and they plan to invest the winnings. “Winning this is a huge blessing,” said Kenneth Baran, the club’s representative. “It still doesn’t feel real for any of us.”

 

It should be noted that another Michigan lottery club also won a significant prize this year. On January 1, 2024, the three-member "The Breakfast Club" lottery group hit the $842.4 million Powerball jackpot.