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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Genesee County Man Wins $1 Million Playing the Michigan Lottery’s $46,000,000 Payout Instant Game

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Winning TicketA Genesee County man had a morning he will never forget when a stop for coffee and a lottery ticket led him to a $1 million prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s $46,000,000 Payout instant game!

“I buy lottery tickets every Friday,” said the lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous. “I never expect to win the top prize, but I always hope to win a few dollars or at least break even.

“It was early in the morning, so I stopped at the gas station to buy a coffee and a lottery ticket. I scratched the ticket when I got in my car and had to scan it at least five times to make sure I was reading it right after I saw I had won $1 million!  This prize is life-changing and is going to give me opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had.”

“What started as a normal day for this lucky player quickly turned to a life-changing one when a stop for coffee led him to winning a $1 million prize,” said Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli. “It is heartwarming to hear that this prize will not only have a positive impact on the player, but his good fortune will also help others with his plans to start a nonprofit.”

The 45-year-old player bought his winning ticket at iral Petroleum, located at 7561 Miller Road in Swartz Creek. 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 $694,000, rather than annuity payments for the full amount. With his winnings, he plans to buy a new car, start a nonprofit, and further his education.

Players have won more than $4 million playing $46,000,000 Payout, which launched earlier this month. Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $1 million. More than $47 million in prizes remain, including two $1 million top prizes and 1,058 $1,000 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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Kent County Educator Wins Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery

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Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, presents Mary Frey with her Excellence in Education check.

Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, presents Mary Frey with her Excellence in Education check.

A Kent County educator who is known for setting a foundation to help her students succeed in the classroom has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Mrs. Mary Frey, is a kindergarten teacher at Kettle Lake Elementary. The school is part of Caledonia Community Schools.

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 Frey will air this evening.

“Mary Frey’s dedication to each student, evident in her detailed care and personal investment to each individual in her classroom, is truly remarkable,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “She inspires students to have ‘ah-ha’ moments and fosters kindness that ripples throughout the entire school and beyond. She is a true hero to her students and an asset to her school.”

Frey said that teaching students so early in their educational journey is a unique opportunity that she finds very rewarding.

“A career in education is not just a job, it is a way of life. It is a way to pour into your community through building positive, lifelong relationships. Kindergarten is the introduction to formal schooling and such an important step in building that school family. Teaching little ones in their formative years is such a unique opportunity. It is such a short period of time – a precious time where little ones are beginning to discover their own abilities, interests and independence. They build confidence, friendships, problem solving and learn so many life skills. They are truly excited about learning, and it has been my privilege to witness so many “ah ha” moments with little ones throughout the years! It also has been a blessing to me to have so many amazing teachers to work with throughout my career. Teaching partners and staff truly become like family when they , grow and learn together.”

Frey was nominated for the award by the family of a current student.

“Mary Frey has been the kindergarten teacher for two of my children and I have seen the tremendous work that she invests in every single child. Her daily updates and detailed conversations about the wellbeing of my kids is astonishing. I have never encountered an educator, let alone a busy public kindergarten teacher, who invests this much personal energy in the well-being of their students. Mrs. Frey is a hero to every single child at that school and many of her projects and ideas end up becoming school-wide programs. During the pandemic, Mrs. Frey organized her children to create Valentine’s Day cards for the nursing staff at the NICU at our local hospital. Eventually the entire school ended up participating in the program and they showered the care providers at the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital with snacks and Valentine’s Day cards made by the children – this grew into the Kettle Lake Kindness Project with the of Megan Ballmer, the school principal. This all began with Mary Frey’s desire to share the love she cultivates in our children’s classroom with the larger community. This is just one small example of the tremendous impact that Mrs. Frey has on our community.”

Frey earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Michigan State University. She has been an educator for 22 years, the last 15 in her 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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Van Buren County Man Wins $1 Million Playing the Michigan Lottery’s Major Cashword Instant Game

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Winning TicketA lucky mistake led to a big payday and a treasure hunt for a Van Buren County man who won $1 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s Major Cashword instant game!

“I play Cashword tickets occasionally, but purchasing this ticket was a total fluke,” said the lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous. “I asked the cashier for a different game, and she mistakenly handed me this Major Cashword ticket instead. When she realized she gave me the wrong ticket, she offered to give me the game I’d asked for, but I told her I would just keep the Major Cashword ticket instead.

“The next morning, I scratched the barcode and my wife scanned the ticket on her Lottery app. When $1 million came up on the screen, I felt like I couldn’t breathe! I thought it was some sort of prank at first. Once I realized it was real, I put the ticket in a jar and buried it in the yard because I was so paranoid something would happen to it if I kept it in the house!”

“Lottery players find interesting ways to keep their tickets safe after scoring a big win,” said Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli. “Burying the ticket in a Mason Jar is certainly a unique way to hang on to a winning ticket! Congratulations to the lucky winner on his $1 million buried treasure!”

The 45-year-old player bought his winning ticket at the Speedway gas station, located at 855 South Kalamazoo Street in Paw Paw. 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 $634,000, rather than annuity payments for the full amount. With his winnings, he plans to pay bills, pay off his home, and save for retirement.

Players have won more than $67 million playing Major Cashword, which launched in February 2024.

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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