"Everybody started to dance": 24 colleagues just won a massive jackpot

BCLC

Getting a late-night phone call from a co-worker can sometimes be stressful. But when it’s about your office lottery pool winning the big one, you’ll be glad you picked up.

A group of 24 colleagues from a production company in Burnaby, BC, have come forward as the winners of the Daily Grand top prize from the April 10, 2023 draw.

The team chose to accept the life-changing lump-sum payment of $7 million over the $1,000-a-day-for-life option. And some of them got the news a bit past their bedtime.

Iuliana Petrovici (BCLC)

You might also like:

“It was 10:30 pm at night, it was late, but I still called a few in the group. They were excited and said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s us,'” said Iuliana Petrovici, who coordinates lottery purchases on behalf of the group of colleagues. “I was at home, and I got goosebumps all over my body! I started shaking and I asked my husband to double-check.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Save-On-Foods on Marine Way and Byrne Road in Burnaby. It was the only one in Canada that matched all five winning numbers plus the grand number.

Petrovici also double-checked the numbers using the BCLC Lotto! App.

“We were so excited and couldn’t believe it,” Petrovici added during the live-streamed announcement from the BCLC Vancouver office. “Everybody started to dance, we were 24 happy people.”

BCLC/Facebook

According to Dan Beebe, chief operating officer of BCLC, it was the largest group ever at the lottery corporation’s Vancouver office.

The chances of winning the huge jackpot are 1 in 13,348,188. The group members plan to use their respective shares to buy new cars, go on dream vacations and finish home renovations.

They also plan on hosting a lunch for the entire company.

When Beebe asked Petrovici how their boss feels about their big win during the celebration ceremony, she replied, “The boss is very happy for us, especially because we’re not quitting.”

And how does the team feel about hitting the jackpot?

“I am sure all 24 of us would agree on happiness! There will be less worries for us.”