(WWJ) A Michigan man has stepped forward as the winner of last month's $80 million Powerball drawing.
Phillip Chippewa of Suttons Bay, in Northern Michigan, said he almost walked out of the Barrels and Barrels party store without buying a ticketsfor the Sept. 21 Powerball drawing "...But at the last minute, I decided to get four plays," he said.
Chippewa, 54, didn't think about the $80 million jackpot until he got a text from his sister about someone winning the big prize with tickets from that store.
"I had put them away in my truck," said Chippewa. "I ran out to take a look at them and I didn't have to look past the first line to see I was the winner. Of course, my wife and son thought I was playing a trick, so my son pulled the numbers up on his phone and read them out loud while Dawn and I looked at the ticket together. By the time he was done, we both had tears in our eyes."
The ticket matched all of the winning numbers – 01-09-22-36-68 – and the Powerball 22, according to the Michigan Lottery.
To confirm they'd won, the Chippewas decided to head back to Barrels and Barrels and have their ticket scanned.
"As soon as we walked in the clerk asked: 'Are you guys the big winners?' said Chippewa. "I handed him the ticket and said: 'We're about to find out.' When the terminal printed a receipt saying to contact the Lottery, we knew our lives had changed."
Chippewa and his wife then called a family meeting to tell all seven of their children the good news.
"There were a lot of emotions in that room because we've always put our family first and it hasn't always been easy, but all of them were so happy for us." Chippewa said.
"With seven children and 21 grandchildren, I've always said that I might not have the most money, but I am rich with family. Now, I have all the money I'll ever need and can help my family for generations. That means everything to me."
Chippewa chose a one-time lump sum payment of $55.3 million, rather than an annuity for the full amount. After tax withholdings, he will receive about $42 million.
He said plans a new home for he and his wife, plus one for each of their children, and continue to share his winnings with his family.
A new Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a white Dodge Challenger also are on his shopping list.
"Winning is life changing, but it's not going to change who we are," said Chippewa, who is a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
Believe it or not, the couple did not retire right away.
"My wife and I have been together for 25 years, we've always helped others and we're both still working," Chippewa said.
"Every day when I come to work my boss asks me: 'Why are you here?' I just tell him that I was hired to do a job and I'm not going to abandon anyone just because I won. We'll both retire in time, but we believe in being good to the community that has been so good to us."
Dawn Chippewa said they may cut back on their work hours a bit.
"We've been working a lot all of our lives," she said. "So it's hard to believe that we're going to have a chance to do something different; something more."
Chippewa's big win marks the fourth time a Michigan player has won the Powerball jackpot since the state began offering the game in 2010.
The last Michigan player to win the Powerball jackpot was Julie Leach, of Three Rivers. In 2015, Leach won the game's $310.5 million jackpot. In 2012, Donald Lawson, of Lapeer, won $337 million playing the Powerball game. Lawson's jackpot win holds the record for the largest Lottery prize ever paid in Michigan.
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.
