Dollarama employees share $10.8M lotto ticket win
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 posted 11:28 AM EDT
Eight dollar store employees in Toronto, Ont. became sudden millionaires while a woman in Kitchener started to plan an early retirement with her share of a $43-million Lotto 6/49 jackpot.
Four winning tickets were sold in Canada for the second largest lottery jackpot in Canadian history.
Playing the lottery for the first time at the suggestion of their manager, eight Dollarama employees in downtown Toronto held one of the winning tickets, worth more than $10.8 million.
"I was totally speechless when I saw the numbers appear on the television screen -- I just could not believe my eyes," winner Donna Thompson said when the group collected their prize cheques.
"Some thought I was joking. They were all pretty shocked, and some even hung up on me."
Thompson said she immediately phoned her supervisor to share the news.
The winners, who will take home about $1.35 million each, range in age from 22 to 53.
Their plans include paying off debts, home improvements, taking vacations and investing.
The winning ticket was purchased at Moss Park Discount on Queen Street East in Toronto.
The winners are: Jerry Pastuch, Nimalin Rajakumar, Evangeline Manalac, Terrance Wasson, Yasmin Hosne, Shaila Jerin, Balatripura Sundari Kolluri and Donna Thompson.
Meanwhile, Joanne Mlotschek of Kitchener reportedly cried when she discovered that her Quick Pick ticket made her an instant millionaire.
"I was flabbergasted when the store clerk told me that I won over $10-million," Mlotschek said in a written statement released by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation on Monday.
The 45-year-old machine operator is said to be planning an early retirement. Two other winning tickets were purchased in Ontario and Quebec.
Ontario also had seven of 13 second-prize winning tickets, each worth $302,389.
The biggest ever lottery prize in Canadian history was $54 million in a Lotto 6/49 draw last October.
It was won by 17 oil company workers in Camrose, Alberta. Each took home a cheque for a little more than $3 million.
The winning numbers announced Saturday night were: 3 10 21 23 33 44. The bonus number was 43.
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