BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — After winning a Powerball prize from the Michigan Lottery, a Big Rapids woman is going into her retirement $100,000 richer.
Polly Byers, 61, matched four white balls and the Powerball in the July 15 drawing. Because she added a Power Play to her game, her $50,000 prize was doubled for a total of $100,000.
Byers said she received an email from the Michigan Lottery saying she'd won a prize. When she logged into her account and saw the $100,000 prize she thought she was dreaming.
“Normally, the email says how much I won but this one didn’t have an amount. That’s when I logged in to my account and saw that I had won $100,000!" Byers said. "I thought I might still be sleeping or dreaming, so I logged out of my account and logged back in, and the prize was still there! I must have checked my account 50 times throughout the day just to make sure I really won.”
Byers recently visited the Michigan Lottery headquarters to pick up her prize. She said she plans to share some of her winnings with family and save the rest.
“My husband and I recently retired, so winning this means the world to us and gives us some financial security,” Byers said.
Powerball tickets can be purchased for $2 per play both in person and online.
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