Beginner’s luck proved true for a Mecosta County woman who won a $1 million Powerball prize her first time ever playing.

 

Joni Thompson, of Stanwood, matched the five white balls in the Nov. 8 drawing to win the big prize: 10-33-41-47-56. She bought her winning ticket at Country Corner Supermarket, located at 10039 Buchanan Road in Stanwood. Stanwood is about 35 miles west of Mount Pleasant.

 

“I’d never played Powerball before, but I decided to purchase a ticket after seeing the jackpot was over $1 billion,” said Thompson. “After the drawing, I saw a social media post about a $1 million prize being won in Mecosta county, so went to the Lottery site to write down the winning numbers and then checked my ticket.

 

“When I realized I‘d matched five numbers and was the big winner, I started hyperventilating, screaming, and crying! I had my son scan my ticket on his Lottery app to make sure I was reading it right. It’s hard to describe what it feels like to win $1 million; I am still speechless!”

 

Thompson, 54, recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She plans to use her winnings to build her new business and then save the remainder.

 

The Powerball jackpot was last won on Nov. 8. One ticket bought in California won the world record $2.04 billion jackpot. The current jackpot stands at $93 million.

 

Powerball plays may be purchased for $2 each at Lottery retailers across the state and online at MichiganLottery.com. A “Power Play” option that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times to a maximum of $2 million may be added to any Powerball play for only $1. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Powerball ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $10 million in the nightly Double Play drawing.