Proud grandma to help pay for granddaughter's wedding after lottery win

For one retiree from Ontario, a happy family occasion is about to be even more special after a surprise lottery win.

Carol Turner, 77,  lives in Hamilton. She said she plays the lottery regularly every week, and ever since it launched, she’s been playing the Instant Red Hot 10x game, which costs $10 per play.

When it comes to playing her tickets, Turner has a routine.

“It was a typical day when I discovered the win. I always wait until after dinner to sit on my couch and play my tickets,” she said.

She recalled that she was multi-tasking at the time, talking to her husband and watching TV while scratching her lottery tickets one at a time.

But when she played one Red Hot ticket, she was shocked to discover that she’d won.

Winner Carol Turner from Hamilton, Ontario (OLG)

“When I realized I won $50,000, I quickly sent my husband to the store to find out if it was real,” said Turner. “I felt so lucky!”

While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her cheque, Turner said that she already has plans for her winnings. Now $50,000 richer, she wants to save her money and use some of it to complete home renovations. She also plans to give her granddaughter a special gift: she wants to help pay for her wedding.

“I had a mix of emotions running through my head,” said Turner. “I was just so surprised.”

Turner purchased her winning ticket at Avondale on Quigley Road in Hamilton.

Alan Slote, another generous retiree from Hamilton, also plans to share his winnings with his family.

The 80-year-old was buying groceries at Fortino’s when he bought the life-changing ticket. Slote won a $1 million Lotto Max prize and he said he plans to use his money to buy a car, share the money with family, and donate to charity.