A Watford couple is planning to share their winnings with their children and save for retirement after claiming a LOTTO MAX prize of over $300,000.
Donna and Mark Thomson claimed the second prize in the May 6 draw of $303,148.
Donna, a personal support worker, and Mark, a truck driver, said they've been playing the lottery together for decades when they visited the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim their windfall.
“We went to the store and I scanned our ticket using the ticket checker,” Mark said.
“When Mark told me we’d won over $300,000, I was in total shock!” Donna added.
The married parents of two, and grandparents of two, said they prefer to choose their own numbers based on special family birthdays and anniversaries.
“At first, we didn’t think it was real. We thought there had been an error with the machine,” Mark explained with a chuckle. “My initial reaction was, ‘This is crazy! We have to tell the kids.’”
The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K on Nauvoo Road in Watford.
“We work hard and work a lot, so this win is a really nice blessing. It gives us a hopeful feeling for the future,” said Donna.
“This win is just unbelievable,” Mark continued. “It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but we couldn’t be happier.”