This Homeless Lottery Player Won a Massive Prize

No matter what’s going on in your life, there’s always hope. That’s the message we’re taking from the story of a homeless lottery player in Colorado, United States, who claimed a $500,000 (€ 455.000) prize that helped turn his life around.

The life story of Michael Engfors was, until 2015, developing in a tragic direction. Just six years before his big win, Engfors was a typical Middle American entrepreneur. That all changed in 2009 when he lost his business and went through an acrimonious divorce. The double shock left him homeless and hooked on drink. Life on the streets was tough, the scratch cards he regularly bought from a gas station offering a dim glimmer of hope that frustratingly failed to ignite…

Until one happy day in December 2015, that is. Engfors bought his scratch card as usual, daring to hope for little more than one or two dollars in prize money. To his amazement, the card turned out to be a big winner – the biggest possible! We reckon this must be one of the most well-deserved jackpot wins ever.

According to Gabby Garcia, a clerk at the gas station where the winning ticket was purchased, Engfors came running back into the building screaming “I won! I won!” shortly after learning of his gift from the gods. After years of watching Engfors – a regular customer at the business – struggle on the streets, it must have been a jubilant moment.

Source: The Telegraph

Aspen Homeless Shelter worker Jeremy Coalis told members of the press:  “It’s such a great story. It’s really inspired so many people, because out of all of the people, especially in Aspen, Colorado, that could win half a million dollars, it couldn’t happen to a better type of person than somebody who actually uses the homeless shelter.

“I asked him what he was going to do, and he said he wanted to get some skis and he really wanted to connect with his daughter who he hadn’t seen in over 20 years. He’s interested in trying to find out how to go about reaching her and re-connecting with her now that he’s got a little bit more means to do so.”

Feeling inspired to win a big prize of your own? Here are some lottery strategies to help you make it happen.

Title image: unofficialnetwork