A Kansas man said he owes his $10,000 lottery jackpot to a phone call from a friend encouraging him to buy a last-minute ticket.
Joseph Ruiz told Kansas Lottery officials he almost missed out on playing the Mega Millions Aug. 28 drawing.
"I had already gotten home for the night, and my friend called me and he asked me if I had gotten my lottery tickets for that night's drawing," Ruiz said. "I had forgotten, and I wasn't planning on going back to the store. But once he put it in my mind, I decided last minute to run to the store and get a ticket."
"Everything about how I got the winning ticket was different from my usual routine. I usually buy them in the morning, not the evening. And I typically stop at a QT near my house, but instead I ended up going to a Casey's that was closer," Ruiz said. "I guess I should change my routine more often!"
The numbers drawn were 3-20-33-34-41 and Megaball 20. Ruiz's ticket matched four numbers and the Megaball.
"This will go a long way towards my bills and debt. It really couldn't have come at a better time for me, personally. It's going to provide some nice relief for me financially," Ruiz said.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
