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Berwyn Man Rediscovers Old Lottery Ticket, Worth $100,000

(CBS) – Talk about a reason to be thankful.

A west suburban man had a lucky lottery ticket in his wallet for more than a month without realizing he had won $100,000.

Michael Gonzalez, 23, had forgotten all about the Lucky Day Lotto Quick Pick ticket he bought two days after his birthday, according to a statement from the Illinois Lottery.

He found the ticket a month later as he was going through his wallet at a store, and asked the cashier to check it for him, the statement said. When he found out he matched all five numbers in the Sept. 20 midday drawing, he called his mom to tell her the good news.

"Since I am always joking around, my mom wouldn't believe me," Gonzalez said. "She kept calling me back asking me if I really won."

He plans to use the windfall to buy a new home for his mother and sister. Joe's Liquors, 6803 Ogden Ave. in Berwyn, will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

 (Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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