Wayne County Educator Wins Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery

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Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, presents Bob Brodie with his Excellence in Education check.

Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, presents Bob Brodie with his Excellence in Education check.

A Wayne County educator who has dedicated nearly 50 years to serving students has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Bob Brodie, is a high school physical education teacher and coach at Salem High School. The school is part of the Plymouth Canton Community School District.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Brodie will air this evening.

“Bob Brodie embodies the essence of what it means to be an educator,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “He understands that teaching extends beyond the classroom, fostering growth and potential in students to become successful adults. His dedication, evident in his roles from teacher and coach to counselor and , has left an indelible mark on countless lives in his community.”

Brodie said his parents inspired him to pursue a career in education.

“My parents were both in education, so from an early age I knew that is exactly what I wanted to do. Being a teacher and coach allows me to help students learn to become responsible, productive, and able adults and to grow both inside the classroom and beyond. Helping students reach their potential and become successful adults is such a rewarding experience.”

Brodie was nominated for the award by a colleague.

“During Bob’s tenure as a teacher he has taught numerous business education and physical education classes. Mixed in with his teaching he was even asked to fill in as a counselor (he is certified in counseling) and as an . When he first started teaching, he coached three sports and within nine years he was the head boys’ basketball coach at Salem High School. After 37 years, he recently ed on the head coaching job to one of his former players and teaching colleagues, but he continues on the coaching staff as an assistant. He has also been ed with the MHSAA as an athletic official for more than 52 years and is a member of three Halls of Fame.

“Bob has seen and done it all. He has developed new classes and led his departments while also supervising college students earning their degrees. He is well liked by all staff in the district, and many know him in other school districts. His former players and students come back to visit him, invite him to their weddings and even name their kids after him. He has made a positive impact on thousands of students over the years. One of his goals is to make his students productive of the community, which he takes pride in. He has been a mentor to new and old staff alike. I have worked alongside him for 26 years of my career and have witnessed all this and more.”

Brodie earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University, a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, and an elementary teaching certification from Wayne State University. He has been an educator for 50 years, the last 48 in his current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
  • Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
  • Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
  • Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
  • Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.
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Macomb County Man Wins $6 Million Playing Michigan Lottery’s $6,000,000 Wealth Instant Game

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Winning TicketA Macomb County man nearly fainted when he won $6 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s $6,000,000 Wealth instant game.

“I play scratch off tickets all the time and have been playing for more than 40 years,” said the lucky 60-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous. “When I scratched the ticket and saw I won $6 million, I thought I was going to faint! I had to scan it on the Lottery app to double check it because I didn’t believe what I was seeing. It still feels surreal.”

“The $50 instant games have been a favorite among players since the Lottery launched its first $50 ticket in July 2022,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “Congratulations to the lucky winner who claimed the first $6 million top prize on our newest $50 game – $6,000,000 Wealth!”

The player bought his winning ticket at Najors Liquor & Deli, located at 43903 Van Dyke Avenue in Sterling Heights. He recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $4.1 million rather than annuity payments for the full amount. With his winnings, he plans to take a vacation and then save the remainder.

Players have won more than $36 million playing $6,000,000 Wealth, which launched in March. Each $50 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $50 up to $6 million. More than $281 million in prizes remain, including two $6 million top prizes, 71 $10,000 prizes, and 4,403 $2,000 prizes.

In 2024, Lottery players won nearly $1.8 billion playing instant games.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at retailers across the state.

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No Fooling Around Here: Oakland County Man Wins $429,249 Fantasy 5 Jackpot on April Fools’ Day

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Fantasy 5 logo Winning the Lottery was no joke for an Oakland County man who won a $429,249 Fantasy 5 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery on April Fools’ Day!

The lucky 63-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, matched the Fantasy 5 numbers in the April 1 drawing to win the big prize: 09-14-21-35-36. He bought his winning ticket online at Michiganmilotteryconnect.horsewinners.net.

“I have been an avid Lottery player for years and play all of the different games in store and online,” said the player. “I bought my Fantasy 5 ticket on April 1, but I didn’t check the winning numbers until the next day. When I saw I’d won the jackpot, I thought it was some sort of April Fools’ joke. I was thrilled when I called the Lottery and found out the prize was indeed real!”

The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim his jackpot. With his winnings, he plans to pay bills and buy his wife a new car.

Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $110,000 in the nightly Double Play drawing. Players may win prizes in the regular nightly drawing, the Double Play drawing, or both. Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot that starts at $100,000.

Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at a retailer or online at Michiganmilotteryconnect.horsewinners.net until 7:08 p.m. on the day of the drawing.

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Genesee County Woman Wins $3 Million Mega Millions Prize

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Pamela Dietrich and her husband, Randy, holding $3 million checkA lucky hunch led to a Genesee County woman winning $3 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s Mega Millions game!

“I don’t consistently play Mega Millions, but I do play from time to time,” said Pamela Dietrich, of Linden. “I had an itch to play for this drawing, so I logged into my Lottery and purchased a ticket.

“The next morning, I saw an email from the Lottery regarding a prize. I had a hard time believing it when I saw I had won $3 million! I called the Lottery first thing Monday morning to that it was real and schedule an appointment to claim my big prize. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this!”

“Congratulations to Pamela, the first player in Michigan to become a millionaire playing the new Mega Millions game,” said Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli. “The enhanced Mega Millions game features bigger prizes at every non-jackpot prize tier, better odds to win the jackpot, better odds overall, larger starting jackpots, and faster-growing jackpots – all great features for Lottery players – and I am excited Pamela was able to cash in!”

Dietrich, 58, matched the five white balls in the April 11 Mega Millions drawing to win $1 million: 15-37-38-56-58. Thanks to the multiplier, her prize was multiplied to $3 million. She bought her winning ticket online at Michiganmilotteryconnect.horsewinners.net.

Dietrich recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. With her winnings she plans to remodel her home, pay off her vehicle, and then save the remainder.

Mega Millions plays may be purchased for $5 each at Lottery retailers across the state and online at Michiganmilotteryconnect.horsewinners.net. Each wager includes a built-in multiplier that multiplies non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times to a maximum of $10 million. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Lotto 47 Jackpot Won; Winning Ticket Bought in Kalamazoo

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Lotto 47A Michigan Lottery player is waking up a millionaire after winning the Lotto 47 jackpot.

One ticket matched the winning Lotto 47 numbers drawn Wednesday – 13-25-30-35-38-46 – to win the game’s $5.46 million jackpot. The winning ticket was bought at the Speedway gas station, located at 3908 South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo.

“Winning a $5.46 million jackpot on a $1 ticket is an incredible return on investment!” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “This big win is the second time in 2025 a lucky Michigander has become a millionaire thanks to the Michigan Lottery’s Lotto 47 game.”

In January, a lucky player won a $1.3 million Lotto 47 jackpot with a ticket bought at Mac’s II Inc., located at 22399 Northline Road in Taylor.

Last night’s big winner should the Lottery’s Player Relations division at 844-917-6325 to set up an appointment to claim their prize. Lotto 47 tickets are valid for one year from the date of the drawing.

Each Lotto 47 play is only $1. Players select six numbers from one to 47 for a chance to win a jackpot starting at $1 million and that grows until someone wins it. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Lotto 47 ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $1.5 million in the nightly Double Play drawing. For an additional $1 per game, players may add EZMatch to their ticket for a chance to win up to $500 instantly. Lotto 47 drawings take place on Wednesday and Saturday at 7:29 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at a retailer or online at Michiganmilotteryconnect.horsewinners.net until 7:08 p.m. on the day of the drawing.

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