A lottery winner and his wife couldn’t believe their luck after a set of numbers chosen for them 30 years ago landed them $1 million.
Carol and Ronald (Ron) Francis have been married for 30 years and live in Kitchener, Ontario. Thirty years ago, Ron’s mom picked a set of numbers for the couple, and they’ve been playing it ever since.
One day, the couple purchased a ticket for an upcoming Lotto Max draw when the jackpot was at $55 million. As usual, they played their special set of numbers.
“I just woke up when Ron asked me to check our ticket on the app. I saw the Big Winner screen and thought I was seeing things,” said Carol. “I checked it again, then showed Ron.”
That’s when they realized that the numbers from Ron’s mom were indeed lucky: they had won a $1 million prize in the August 11, 2023 Lotto Max draw.
“We started screaming and cheering,” recalled Ron.
When they took a screenshot and sent it to their kids, Ron said, “They thought we won $1,000. I told them to count the zeroes — they couldn’t believe it!”
Now $1 million richer, the couple said they’ll be using their money to pay off bills and share some of their winnings with their children.
“Ron and I plan to treat ourselves to a very long overdue vacation to relax and celebrate together,” said Carol. “This feels great. Like freedom.”
The couple’s winning ticket was purchased at Petro Canada on King Street in Waterloo.