Starting this week, members of the Lottery's VIP club, Player City, may submit an image of themselves, a family member or friend, who currently serves or has served in the U.S. military, on the Player City Web site, www.playercity.net.  Members will be required to include a short essay (100 words or less) that contains information on the person's military accomplishments.

From all the entries received via Player City, the Lottery will select up to 10 different heroes to be featured on a new Michigan Heroes instant ticket. By participating in the project, members will receive a one-time award of 5,000 P.C. Points for entering the image.  P.C. Points may be redeemed for entry into Player City drawings and are earned by completing various activities on Player City.

"It is an honor to be able to pay tribute to some of our state's finest citizens. Our servicemen and women deserve to be recognized for their contributions and sacrifice," said Lottery Commissioner M. Scott Bowen. "The Lottery is proud to be offering the Michigan Heroes instant ticket."

The $1 ticket, which is expected to go on sale fall 2009, will offer prizes ranging from $1 to 5,000.

Since its inception in 2005, Player City has registered over 225,000 members and is believed to be one of the largest online lottery player communities in the world. Membership in the club is free and once registered members can begin to earn P.C. Points which can be redeemed for entries into various monthly contests for event tickets and merchandise.

Over 95 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to retailers. In fiscal year 2008, the contribution to schools was $740.7 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $15 billion to education in Michigan.

For additional information, please visit the Lottery's Web site at www.michigan.gov/lotteryand the Player City Web site, www.playercity.net.

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