LANSING, July 8, 2003 – When the 16 members of the “Sweet 16” Lottery club of Hudsonville pooled their money together to purchase Mega Millions tickets for June 20 drawing, they all dreamt of winning big!  That dream became a reality for the lucky club members upon learning they had matched the first five numbers in the June 20 drawing to win a $175,000 Mega Millions prize!  That day’s winning numbers were: 1, 2, 3, 12, 37 and the Gold Mega Ball number was 35.

The “Sweet 16” Lottery club purchased their winning “easy-pick” ticket at 7-Eleven 084A, 420 Baldwin St., in Jenison.

Club members, who all work together at General Motors, include:

• Allen Bailey of Dorr
• Billy Bates of Newaygo
• Richard Briseno of Hudsonville
• Steve Buckland of Jenison
• Brien Carpentier of Cedar Springs
• Hubert Dekoker of Coopersville
• Nelson DeVries of Hudsonville
• Alan Wayne Doorn of Kentwood
• Jerry Hall of Wayland
• David Johnson of Grant
• Patrick Kirkwood of Grand Rapids
• Dennis Miller of Grand Rapids
• Dennis Robinson of Howard City
• Joe Salinas of Lowell
• Judith Smith of Kentwood
• Thomas Ungrey of Byron Center

“I looked up the winning numbers on the Michigan Lottery’s official Web site (www.michigan.gov/lottery) and then double checked the numbers on the Mega Millions Web site (www.megamillions.com),” said Richard Briseno, the club’s representative.  “We are all very excited about winning!  It is still shocking and unbelievable!”

Prior to turning in the winning ticket at Lottery headquarters in Lansing, the winners said they kept it locked in a safe at all times.  The club members, many of which enjoy fishing, hunting and woodworking in their spare time, said they have a variety of plans for their winnings including paying bills, taking vacations, and investing for the future.

The “Sweet 16” Lottery club members offered the following words of encouragement to other Lottery hopefuls: “Don’t give up – your lucky day will come around too!”

The last Big Game drawing took place on Tuesday, May 14, 2002.  On Wednesday, May 15, 2002, The Big Game was replaced by Mega Millions.  Mega Millions is a multistate lottery game in which the following states participate: Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Washington.  Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at more than 7,000 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.

Mega Millions drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.  The next Mega Millions drawing is tonight, Tuesday, July 8, with an estimated jackpot of $26 million.  For more information about Mega Millions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery or the Mega Millions Web site at www.megamillions.com.

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