A St. Joseph County resident has struck it rich, winning $500,000 in the Michigan Lottery’s $500,000 Winter Ice instant game. The winner, a 77-year-old man who has opted to stay anonymous, purchased the winning ticket at Jit Food and Gas, located at 130 North Washington Street in Constantine, roughly 35 miles south of Kalamazoo.
The win came unexpectedly during a routine stop at the gas station. “My son and I stopped at the gas station, and I bought each of us a $5 ticket,” the winner recounted. After initially winning $10, he decided to try his luck again, purchasing two more tickets. He chose the $500,000 Winter Ice ticket on the clerk’s recommendation, who mentioned its recent popularity.
The revelation of the win was a moment of disbelief and excitement, as shared by the winner: “When we scratched the tickets off, I said to my son: ‘What would you say if I told you I’d won $500,000?’ He replied: ‘That you’re full of it!’ That’s when I handed him the ticket and we both started screaming!”