Canton Township resident Brenda Walker, 77, will soon be driving a brand-new car and some special family dates helped fund her new ride.
For years, Walker said, she has been playing a special set of numbers in the Michigan Lottery and finally those birthdays and special dates paid off. Her numbers matched the five white balls drawn in the Lucky For Life game on Nov. 27. Her persistence rewarded Walker with $25,000 a year for life or the cash option of $390,000, which she chose.
Walker purchased her winning ticket at the Canton Mini Mart on Cherry Hill Road, she said, and when the winning numbers were announced, was stunned to realize her numbers, 02-06-07-11-19, were the winning combination.
“I've played a special set of numbers made up of birth dates and other special dates for years,” said Walker. “Every night after the drawing I call the winning numbers hotline and check my ticket. When the numbers were read off, I recognized them right away and had to press the repeat option a few times to make sure I was hearing right.
“When it finally sank in, I jumped up in excitement and was filled with a warm, happy, and excited feeling. I am so thankful for this prize,” said Walker.
Walker recently visited lottery headquarters to claim her big prize. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment rather than annuity payments of $25,000 for 20 years or life, whichever is greater.
