Indiana woman Emily Hickox recently participated in a white elephant gift exchange — but she had no idea it would lead to her winning a prize worth half a million dollars.

Indiana resident Emily Hickox, 25, ended up with a winning Michigan Lottery ticket worth $500,000 after doing a white elephant gift exchange with her family.

“My cousin purchased the ticket for the white elephant gift exchange at our family Christmas party,” said 25,-year-old Emily Hickox. “My dad actually won the ticket in the gift exchange, and I won the gift he brought, a flashlight. He wanted his gift back, so we made an agreement after the game to trade gifts.

Emily Hickox originally received a flashlight as part of the gift exchange but traded it in for a Detroit Lions instant ticket her dad received.

An Indiana woman won a $500,000 lottery by playing a Michigan instant game ticket over the holidays. Emily Hickox was gifted the lottery ticket through a white elephant gift exchange she participated in with her family.

A father’s loss was a daughter’s gain — a big one — following a white elephant gift exchange in Michigan. While the Indiana woman won a jackpot prize that left her “speechless,” the father came away with a household tool that is a little bit less life changing.

Emily won $500,000 from a Detroit Lions scratch-off lottery ticket she received during a white elephant gift exchange.

An Indiana woman is $500,000 richer after winning money on a lottery ticket she received during a white elephant gift exchange.

A woman who ended up with a Michigan Lottery scratch-off ticket in her family's white elephant gift exchange scored a $500,000 prize.

Sharing isn't always caring when it comes to cold, hard cash. A 22-year-old man scored $25,000 in scratch-off lottery winnings at his family's white elephant exchange. However, he's keeping every penny for