Change of plans leads to $500,000 lottery prize

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman said an unexpected change of weekend plans led to her winning a $500,000 lottery prize.

Kawkawlin resident Traci Verbowski told Michigan Lottery officials she owes her good luck to a canceled vacation.

"I really wanted to go on a vacation a few weekends ago, but we ended up staying home and went out to dinner that Saturday night instead," Verbowski said. "After dinner, I remembered I had a few Detroit Lions winning tickets, so I stopped to cash them and purchased some more. I put the tickets in my purse until I got home later that night."

Verbowski discovered later that night that skipping vacation was the right thing to do.

"When I scratched one of the tickets and saw I won $500,000, I yelled: 'I think I just won a lot of money!' I showed my family the ticket and no one could believe what they were seeing. I haven't slept a full night since because I have been so anxious and excited to come claim my prize," she said.

The $500,000 winning Detroit Lions scratch-off ticket was purchased from the 7-Eleven store on Wilder Road in Bay City.

"I'm so glad we ended up not going on vacation that weekend, because if we did, I wouldn't be here claiming $500,000," Verbowski said.

The winner said she plans to use some of her prize money to buy a boat.