Michigan Healthcare Workers’ Lottery Club Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize

Michigan Healthcare Workers’ Lottery Club Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize
Bernard Bossert Jr. (first row/R-L) and his lottary club in Traverse City, Mich., on Jan. 5, 2023. (Michigan State Lottery)
1/7/2023
Updated:
1/7/2023
0:00

A Michigan lottery club of 78 healthcare employees won a $1 million prize in Powerball, which will be divided between them, the club announced on Thursday.

The “Heroes to Zeroooos” lottery club from Traverse City, Mich., gathered at MiddleCoast Brewing Company in Traverse City to claim their prize, according to local media.

Each of the 78 will get around $12,800. The group consists of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers from the wider Traverse City area.

According to the Michigan State Lottery, the club’s representative, BJ Bossert Jr., bought the winning ticket at a pharmacy.

“Everyone in our club is ecstatic. This prize is a nice bonus for all of us around the holidays,” Bossert said.

“There are about 65 members who consistently play, but anyone can throw in money whenever they choose,” he said.

“I created a Facebook page for the club where I post who contributed for the drawing and then the results the morning after each drawing,” he added.

“I purchased a Powerball ticket the afternoon of the drawing and then checked the results the next morning at about 4:30 a.m. When I saw we had won $1 million, I was in shock! I posted in the Facebook group and said I had a special announcement coming later that day and planned to share the good news when I was done with work,” Bossert said.

Bossert said the group has been playing for years, but the largest prize won before was $200.

The lottery club’s win comes less than two months after a player in California won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot. Players also won lottery prizes topping $1 billion earlier in 2022 and in 2021.

The latest haul up for grabs is a $940 million Mega Millions jackpot, with a drawing set for Friday night. The prize ranks as the sixth largest in U.S. history

The Associated Press contributed to this report.