A retiree from southwestern Ontario says she began to “hyperventilate” when she realized she had won a tens of millions of dollars playing Lotto Max.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) says that a part of Fergus resident Elizabeth Trafford’s weekend routine is to walk the dog and to check her lottery tickets.
“Every Saturday I take my dog for a walk, then drive to a little nearby store to fill up with gas, grab a newspaper, and check my lottery tickets,” she told OLG while picking up her $40 million prize from the Dec. 10, 2024, draw.
“The first ticket I checked at the lottery terminal wasn’t a winner, but the second one ‘blew up’ the machine, and all I saw was ‘Big Winner!’
“I spoke with an OLG representative who called the store. When they told me exactly how much I’d won, I started to hyperventilate.”
Trafford said she then called her son to share the good news.
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“His initial reaction was disbelief, and it took a few minutes for him to understand this was not a joke,” Trafford recalled.
She said his son and wife, who live out of town, then hopped in their car and drove to Fergus to share in her celebration.
Trafford says her son and his wife, who live in another community, jumped in their car and made their way to Fergus to be with her.
When Trafford picked up her winnings, OLG says that the Fergus native had tears of joy while logging into a banking app to take a peak at her updated account.
“Forty million, 107 dollars, and 93 cents. It’s gone up quite a bit. It’s in there now, and it’s quite something,” she said.
The retiree believes she can do a lot for those around her with her new-found fortune.
“I see myself as a steward of this money. There’s so much good I can do with this windfall, and I want to give back in a meaningful way,” she explained.
Trafford also intends to help out her son as well and hopes he will share the wealth after he inherits it.
“You always want to give something wonderful to your child. He will get a nice house, but I’m also comforted by the fact that he will inherit this legacy,” she said.
“It’s important to know that this will go on.”
While she hopes to help others and her son with the $40 million windfall, she told OLG she may hit the road for some adventures of her own as well.
“I’ve always wanted to travel, and that’s what I’ll get out of this win. I can now consider exotic places, and I think to myself, ‘I can actually do that now,’” she said.
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