“No one believed me at first!”: Eight friends win massive lottery prize
After six years of playing the lottery together, eight friends from the Greater Toronto Area finally hit the jackpot.
Erika Kramer, Claire Brennan, Domenica Mandarelli, Elizabeth Aihoshi, Janice Tee, Patricia Bertoni, Terry Wasilishin and Vicenta Mohajeri won a Maxmillions prize worth $1 million in the May 26 Lotto Max draw.
Group leader Kramer said she was about to start her vacation when she decided to check their lottery ticket on the OLG App.
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While standing in her kitchen, she scanned it and discovered they’d won big. “I must have said ‘Oh my God’ a thousand times!” she recalled.
Kramer texted the other group members to reveal the big news.
“No one believed me at first!” she said. “Janice called and asked me to double-check the ticket. Then we all did a group call and shared in the excitement.”
Bertoni woke everyone in her house screaming with excitement when she found out.
The eight lucky friends, former co-workers in the auto industry, said they’d won some smaller lottery prizes in the past, but this is their largest win to date.
“We’d hear about people winning before, but now it was our turn!” said Wasilishin, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up their win.
What do they plan to do with the lottery windfall?
When you divide the $1 million prize among eight people, the winnings are still significant — $125,000 for each friend.
Kramer plans to purchase a new car with her share of the windfall, and Bertoni will complete some home renovations and take a trip to Italy.
Mandarelli plans to travel for now, but Brennan wants to travel, invest, and eventually purchase real estate.
The other group members are taking some time to consider what to do with this prize.
Overall, winning has been a surreal experience for the group.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Brennan.
“It’s an exciting feeling,” added Kramer. “We are very grateful; it feels like a weight has been lifted. We look forward to planning for our futures.”
The friends will continue playing as a group and plan to get together to celebrate their windfall.