Fall River police officer wins big on Megabucks ticket made of family birth dates

FALL RIVER, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Fall River police officer claimed his more than $7.3 million in winnings this week on a Megabucks drawing he won on July 20.

Thomas Chace's winning season ticket had a special meaning to him: the numbers were made up from his family members' birth dates.

Chace, a 28-year veteran of the Fall River Police Department, was on vacation when the numbers were drawn. When he learned the numbers were drawn, he called his son at home to check the ticket he had left in the kitchen. The family had a momentary scare when they thought the season ticket had expired, but soon realized they had renewed it before the expiration date.

Chace, his wife, and his two sons visited the Lottery's Braintree headquarters Thursday to claim a lump sum payment of $5,671,693.

The police officer plans to spend the winnings on the family members whose birth dates were worth millions by paying for his sons' college tuitions, as well as future family expenses.

Chace bought his season ticket at Dave's News on South Main Street in Fall River.

Cox Media Group