Generous grandparents sharing $1M lottery prize with their five children
After a big lottery win, one Canadian couple said they’re putting their family first by sharing their winnings with their children.
Lottery players Karen and Pat Huffman are retirees who live in Ridgeway, Ont. The couple have five children and eight grandchildren. Whenever there’s a big jackpot to be won, the couple said they often buy tickets for Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, or Lottario, always paying a little extra to add the Encore options.
One day, Karen, whose hobby is knitting, made a quick stop on her way to meet her knitting group.
“I was on my way to meet up with my knitting group at the yarn shop when I stopped at the convenience store to buy a bottle of water,” she recalled. “At the same time, I bought us a Lotto 6/49 ticket.”
However, the ticket remained forgotten in her purse for weeks.
“Three weeks later, I found our ticket in my purse. I scanned it on the OLG app, and when I saw the prize amount, my first thought was that Pat was playing some kind of trick on me,” said.
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Pat recalled the moment, stating, “Together, we scanned our ticket again, and at first, I thought it said we’d won $1,000. We checked it a few more times before realizing it was $1 million!”
The couple was $1 million richer after they matched the Encore winning number 7656157 during the March 19 Lotto 6/49 draw.
“After confirming with OLG that we’d won, we giggled for days,” said Karen, smiling. “We shared the news with our kids, and, much like us, they were overwhelmed but very happy.”
And since Karen’s unplanned stop on the way to her knitting group resulted in their $1-million windfall, Pat showed up at the OLG Prize Centre proudly wearing a sweater that Karen had knitted for him.
For the Huffmans, the best part about winning is sharing their good fortune with their loved ones — they plan to travel and share their winnings with their children.
The couple describes the experience as “like being in a movie,” adding that it’s the most surreal thing that’s ever happened to them.
Karen purchased their lucky ticket at Avondale on Dominion Road in Ridgeway.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, check out these resources.