Donovan Yaldo, of Commerce Township, MI checked his Lucky for Life ticket 10 times before he finally believed his eyes:  He had won $25,000 a year for life.

Yaldo said he still was struggling to believe that he was a big winner, even as he was collecting his prize at Lottery headquarters in Lansing.  “I’m still waiting for the reality to sink in,” he said. He added that he didn’t have any immediate plans for his windfall immediately, but knew the money would allow him to live more comfortably.

Yaldo, 31, choose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum cash payment of $390,000. He could have chosen payments of $25,000 annually for
20 years or for life, whichever is greater.

Antoinette Kudelchuk from Jewett City, CT didn’t let grass grow under her feet waiting to claim her fabulous once in a lifetime lottery prize.

The day after the Thursday, September 3rd Lucky for Life drawing, Antoinette arrived at Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill with a “Lucky” prize winning ticket. She had missed the Lucky ball number, 14, but matched the first five numbers drawn, 25-39-46-47-48. Of the 11,551 winning Lucky for Life tickets sold in Connecticut for that date, Antoinette’s ticket was the only one that contained a five number match for the game’s second highest prize—$25,000 a year for life.

“When the clerk scanned my ticket with the lottery terminal he said, ‘You won second prize.’ I said, ‘What’s that? A thousand dollars?’ He said, ‘No, you won $25,000 a year for life.’ I almost had a total heart attack right there,” said Antoinette with a laugh.

Antoinette chose to claim her $25,000 a year for life second prize in a one-time cash lump-sum of $390,000 (value before taxes). “I know exactly what I’m going to do with the money—pay my bills!”