Alberta lottery winner wants to pay it forward with food bank donation
A lottery winner in Alberta aims to pay it forward with a donation to a food bank – one he previously relied on when things got tough for him.
Michael White of Airdrie won a cool $1,000,000 on Western Max and told the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) that he was overwhelmed with gratitude when he learned of the win.
“It’s perfect timing!” he said, explaining that he had just retired and had been planning on buying a truck for his travel trailer to go and explore Canada this spring.
White said he’s also planning to gift some of the winnings to his children, along with spoiling his dog. He described himself as a casual player who stuck to lottery tickets and the best online poker sites on a budget most weeks, never imagining a win this size.
“My wife and I are going to take the dog and head to Vancouver Island,” he told the WCLC. “Then, we’ll start making our way across the country. We’re going to live the dream!”
A significant part of this win, for White, is the ability to give back to those who have helped his family.
“Times have been tough [in the past],” he said. “At one point, we actually had to use the food bank so now we’d like to donate and give back to them!”
White added that he and his wife are extremely happy over the win and can hardly believe it’s actually happening to them.
White purchased his winning Western Max ticket at Kimmer Country Market at 200-800 Veterans Blvd. in Airdrie. He won his prize by matching the selection for one of the million-dollar prizes on the Dec. 20 draw: 4, 6, 15, 16, 27, 44, and 49.
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