Man wins the ‘game of life’ after surviving leukemia — then wins Iowa lottery prize
A leukemia survivor said his Iowa lottery win was just a “small win after winning the game of life.”
Stephen Owens, 55, made a quick stop for tortillas in Wilton and saw that the line to buy a lottery ticket was short, so he spontaneously made a purchase.
The ticket turned out to be a $10,000 winner, matching four of the five white balls and the Mega Ball in the Aug. 23 Mega Millions drawing, according to Iowa Lottery officials in an Aug. 28 news release.
“I was pretty thrilled, “ he told officials. “That’s a fun amount of money.”
Now, Owens says he can put his winnings toward an exciting event.
“We have a daughter getting married in the spring, so this will help with that,” he said.
Wilton is about a 145-mile drive east from Des Moines.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.
The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published August 28, 2024 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Man wins the ‘game of life’ after surviving leukemia — then wins Iowa lottery prize."
