Illinois man wins $1M lottery prize same week he claimed $10,000 prize

LOVES PARK — A Loves Park man won a $1 million Powerball prize the same week he claimed a $10,000 prize from the ”$5 Million Jackpot” instant ticket, the Illinois Lottery said Wednesday.

The winner's name was not disclosed, but he told Lottery officials he plans to give some of the winnings to charities.

Here’s how his wins unfolded: On July 28, he went to an Illinois Lottery claim center to collect his $10,000 prize. “I was excited because it was the largest win I ever had,” he said, according to a news release.

When he was driving home from the claim center, he stopped for gas and decided to also buy tickets for some of his favorite jackpot games at Loves Park Mobil, 6224 N. Second St.

“I bought my tickets and put them straight into my pocket until Tuesday after the draw; that’s the day I usually like to check my tickets.”

When he checked his tickets on Aug. 4, he had matched five of the numbers on his Powerball ticket for the Aug. 1 drawing, winning a $1 million prize. “I walked into my girlfriend's house and yelled ‘Yahoo!’ She couldn’t believe it either and started crying,” he said.

The Loves Park resident has been playing Illinois Lottery games since its inception and is looking forward to sharing his prize money with his community. “I have a list of all of my favorite charities that I want to donate money to, such as Smile Train and Operation Smile. It’s important to give back,” he said.

Georgette Braun: gbraun@rrstar.com; @GeorgetteBraun