A Michigan woman won $500,000 from a lottery ticket she received in a white elephant gift exchange at her family’s Christmas party.
Emily Hickox, 25, couldn’t believe her luck after she traded gifts with her dad – swapping a flashlight for the lotto numbers – and realized the ticket she had won was worth half-a-million dollars.
The ticket was a Michigan Lottery Detroit Lions instant game, the company said in a news release.
“My cousin purchased the ticket for the white elephant gift exchange at our family Christmas party,” Hickox said. “My dad actually won the ticket in the gift exchange, and I won the gift he brought, a flashlight.”
“He wanted his gift back, so we made an agreement after the game to trade gifts,” she explained.
“I scratched the ticket off on Christmas, which also happens to be my birthday, and thought I won $50,000. I downloaded the Michigan Lottery app and created an account to check the ticket on the app scanner. I was expecting to see $50,000, so when I saw the extra zero, I was speechless! I couldn’t comprehend that I’d just won $500,000!”
Thankfully for the family members who unknowingly gave away the half-a-million-dollar ticket, Hickox plans to share the wealth.
After buying herself a new car, the generous 25-year-old said she would share her winnings with her cousin who purchased the ticket and with her parents.
Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said Hickox’s story is “what every lottery player dreams of.”
“Winning a prize of $500,000 is a thrill in itself, combined with the excitement of winning on Christmas, and your birthday, from a ticket you received as a gift makes it even more incredible,” Shkreli said in a statement. “Congratulations Emily!”
Players have won more than $21 million playing the Detroit Lions instant game, which launched in September, the company added.
