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Michigan man wins $25,000 a year for life playing Michigan Lottery game

Posted at 11:15 AM, Oct 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-12 18:27:18-04

A Kalamazoo man is planning to pay it forward after winning $25,000 a year for life playing Lucky For Life.

Michael Ozier, 59, bought his winning ticket at the Speedway gas station located at Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo.

"I'm working at a job site in Indiana, so I'm back and forth between there and Kalamazoo a lot," Ozier said. "I was on my way back to the job site and stopped for gas and bought a Lucky For Life ticket for two draws."

Ozier said he checked it after the first drawing and it wasn't a winner. When he checked after the second draw, he thought he won $200.

"I decided to double check it when I got to work and that is when I realized I'd won $25,000 a year for life!" he said.

Ozier chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 rather than annual payments for $25,000 for 20 years or life, whichever is greater.

With his winnings, he plans to pay for his daughter's college education, buy turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets that are given to families in need by his church and then save the remainder for his retirement.