A homeless man in Aspen, Colo., beat the odds Friday when he won $500,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket he bought for $10 at a local gas station, according to NBC's Denver affiliate KUSA-TV. Michael Engfors, 60, has been homeless for the past six years after he lost his business, struggled with alcoholism and went through a divorce.
"Michael has seen a bottom that has pushed him right to the edge," said Jeremy Kowalis of the Aspen Homeless Shelter. "But Michael never gave up. He knew that if he kept pushing on, eventually his luck would change."
His luck did, indeed, change when he purchased the ticket and realized he won $500,000. How lucky was he? The Colorado Lottery said the odds of getting the top prize in the "Eternal Splendor" scratch game are 840,000 to 1, according to NBC News.
"It's such a great story, and 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, that's for sure," said Kowalis. "I don't think he normally spends $10 a day on a lottery ticket. But he did that day, and it sure paid off."
After verifying that he won the $500,000, Engfors went to St. Mary Catholic Church to spend one last weekend sleeping on the floor before the shelter's director drove him to the lottery office Monday to begin the process of collecting his earnings, according to USA Today.
Engfors also disclosed to a small group of people what he intends to do with the money: find his daughter.
"I asked him what he was gonna 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," said Kowalis. "He's interested in trying to find out how to go about reaching her and reconnecting with her, now that he's got a little bit more means to do so."
