Meet Michigan’s newest mega millionaire!

Drawing Date: 12/17/2013

December 27, 2013 - Mega congrats to Michigan’s newest millionaire, Amy Gourlay!

Gourlay, of Niles, became a millionaire when she matched the first five numbers in the December 17 Mega Millions drawing. She said her husband checked her ticket and saw that one play matched the first five numbers and she knew it was good news, but that’s all. “I kept saying to my husband, ‘I don’t know what this means! I don’t know what this means!” she said, adding that they were stunned and surprised when they quickly determined she had won $1 million.

Gourlay said she typically plays $5 when the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots hit large amounts, but for some reason played $10 on December 16, when she bought her ticket at Martin’s Super Market, at 720 S. 11th St., in Niles.

“I don’t know what prompted me to get 10.  That’s not normal for me.  I don’t know what told me to do that, but thank heavens it did.  The winning numbers were on the 10th line,” she said today at Lottery headquarters in Lansing, where she claimed her big prize.

The Mega Millions jackpot for Dec. 17 was $648 million.  The Mega Ball number drawn that night was 07 and the Mega Ball number on Gourlay’s ticket was 08.  Gourlay said she has mixed emotions about coming that close to having a share of the $648 million, which was split by winners in California and Georgia.

“There is a little bit of disappointment because with that much money you could do so many things for your family, for your community, and to support causes that you care about.  But there’s a huge responsibility that comes with that much money and it would mean an incredible change in your life.  So there’s also relief that we’ll be able to keep our life the same,” she said.

Gourlay said she and her family still are deciding what they’ll do with the prize money and they will be guided by their long-standing philosophy of “save a lot, share some with the community, and have a little fun here and there.”