$1 Million Mega Millions Win a ‘Life Changer’

Drawing Date: 2/25/2014

April 28, 2014 - A Mega Millions Quick Pick ticket that put $1 million in an Essex man’s pocket also gave him a good chuckle. Two of the winning numbers were the loyal Maryland Lottery player’s unlucky “lucky” numbers.

“I was playing my own numbers for years and I gave up on them,” he said. “Six months later, I win!” His unlucky “lucky” numbers of 12 and 66 appear on the Feb. 25 ticket, which he bought at a 7-Eleven at 25 Eastern Boulevard in Essex, Md. ”I couldn’t believe I hit that.”

The early riser checked his numbers the morning after the drawing as he was preparing to leave for work. An employee at a Maryland manufacturing company for many years, the 40-something is accustomed to arising well before dawn. “I checked the first three numbers and I said, ‘Oh my goodness!’ ” he recalled. “I checked it three times.”

Wanting to share his million-dollar news with family members in person and right away, the happy man zoomed over to his siblings’ homes to catch them before they went to work. Seeing him that early was a shock, but not as great as the shock of hearing about his good fortune! He warned one sibling, “You’d better sit down for this.” The lucky player hid the ticket in his safe deposit box until he could consult a financial adviser and make plans for his winnings.

“This is a life changer,” he said. An outdoorsman, the Baltimore County resident enjoys hunting deer, turkey, rabbits, and fishing on the Eastern Shore. A private hunting paradise could be in his future! Regardless of the win, he plans to keep playing Powerball, Mega Millions and Multi-Match just in case Lady Luck decides to smile on him again.