It certainly pays to have good friends. On Wednesday, August 1, M. L. “Butch” Ehrhardt, from West Jordan Valley, Utah, beat the 1 in 1.3 million jackpot odds to win $1,285,000 in the Wild Card 2 lotto game from the Idaho Lottery.

The Wild Card 2 ticket was purchased from Vic and Gladys, owners of Gladys’ Place in Fish Haven, Idaho located right on Bear Lake. 

Butch came to visit his old neighbors Vic and Gladys on the 4th of July. Vic and Gladys convinced Butch to buy a Wild Card 2 ticket. Butch bought a ticket good for 10 draws. Being the kind of man Butch is, he waited until all 10 draws were done, then sent the ticket back to his friends with a note that had a “P.S” saying if this ticket won anything that they should keep the winnings. 

Well, Vic and Gladys knew that the winning ticket was purchased from their store, and they were already excited to know that they would be getting a $25,000 commission check. So when the mail came with the note and ticket from Butch on Wednesday, August 8, needless to say they saw instantly that it was Butch who was the winner and promptly called him to say, “he just might like to keep the ticket himself.” 

Butch and his 15-year old son are flying up from Salt Lake City along with his old neighbors and very dear friends, Vic and Gladys, to claim their prizes. Butch was able to get 1 1/2 weeks off from his cement truck driving job. They will arrive on Friday, August 10. The Idaho Lottery is sending a limousine to the airport to bring them back to the Lottery headquarters. Expected arrival time is 4:30pm. 

With his winnings, Butch said that he would like to take his 2 children back east to the Washington D.C. area where his family lives. His kids have never been back and it will be an “opportunity for them to get to know his family better.” 

Wild Card 2 players can win by correctly selecting 5 numbers out of 31. Then pick one face card and one suit for your Wild Card to Win. 

Wild Card 2 is played in Idaho, Montana and South Dakota. The drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday at 8:59 p.m. mountain time. For information about the Idaho Lottery, visit www.idaholottery.com. 

Dividends from the Idaho Lottery are returned to the state and are used to support Idaho’s public schools and buildings. In over twelve years, the Idaho Lottery has contributed in excess of $200 million dollars to Idaho public schools and buildings.