Michigan woman found out on Facebook she won a $1 million Powerball prize

A Michigan woman used the power of Facebook to her benefit, as she was scrolling through the social media app and found out she won a $1 million Powerball prize from the Michigan Lottery.

The $1 million win came on the March 2 drawing. For that drawing, the five white balls were 3, 18, 27, 36, 53 and the Powerball number was 12.

Jennifer Vackaro, of White Lake, matched the five white balls to win the big prize, on a ticket purchased from the Andale Mexican Grill & Cantina, 4835 Carroll Lake Road in Commerce Township.

Took the time to pick her own numbers

When talking to the Michigan Lottery, Vackaro said her and her fiance were at Andale. He was playing Club Keno, so she decided to play Powerball and went against her normal Quick Pick option.

She said, “Usually I play easy pick numbers, but since we were just hanging out having a drink, I decided to take the time to pick my own numbers.”

She didn’t think anything of it, but she said, “The next morning, I was scrolling Facebook and saw a post about a winning Powerball ticket that was sold at Andale. The post had the winning numbers and I recognized them right away.”

While she recognized the winning numbers, you can never be too safe, right? Vackaro told the Michigan Lottery, “I scanned my ticket on the Lottery app and when $1 million came up on the screen with confetti, I couldn’t stop shaking! I called my daughters and my fiancé to tell them the good news.”

A “complete fog” for the winner

While the idea of winning $1 million has sunk in for Vackaro, she did say the last few days have been a “complete fog.” She said she hasn’t “been able to eat or sleep” because she’s been “so nervous and excited.”

Vackaro recently visited the lottery headquarters with her fiance and claimed her prize. With her winnings in hand now, she said she plans on taking her family on a trip and then saving the rest of the money.

Big Powerball winners in Michigan

2024 is starting out strong for Powerball players in Michigan. Vackaro won $1 million after purchasing her Powerball ticket in Michigan, but the only Powerball jackpot winner of 2024 was also purchased in Michigan.

The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was on January 1, 2024. The winning ticket for the $842.2 million jackpot was purchased at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc, located at 3035 East Grand Blanc Road in Grand Blanc.

The five white balls for that drawing were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and the Powerball number was 1. The huge jackpot has yet to be claimed. If you happen to be the lucky holder of that ticket, you should contact the Lottery’s Player Relations Division at (844) 917-6325 to make an appointment to claim your prize.

Enjoy playing the Michigan Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.