Forgotten Powerball ticket stuffed in coat pocket wins big in Michigan. ‘In shock’

A husband and wife in Michigan commit to buying a Powerball ticket before every drawing.

As there are three Powerball drawings a week — every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday — the couple has held onto hope that someday they’d be celebrating a huge win.

“We always knew we would win big,” Ana Elizalde, 51, told Michigan Lottery officials.

That day finally came, according to a Feb. 28 news release from the Michigan Lottery.

Elizalde bought a winning Powerball ticket at Sav-Way Food Center in Lansing for the Feb. 6 drawing.

“I purchased a Powerball ticket as usual, and I gave it to my husband to hold on to,” she told lottery officials. But they forgot to check the drawing that evening, so they had no idea her ticket had matched the five white balls.

Matching five white balls is worth $1 million.

“A week after the drawing my husband found the ticket in his coat pocket and realized we had never checked it,” Elizalde said in the release. “We went to the store to scan it and got a message to file a claim.

“When we checked the numbers online and realized we’d won $1 million, we were in shock,” she continued. “We always had a feeling this day would come and now that it’s here, it feels surreal.”

She said she plans to use the money to pay bills, pay for her children’s schooling and save, according to the release.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Forgotten Powerball ticket stuffed in coat pocket wins big in Michigan. ‘In shock’."