WINDSOR, ONT. -- The town of Blenheim is buzzing over a resident’s recent $70 million Lotto Max win, with many hoping lightning will strike at the store where the winning ticket was purchased.
“I saw big winner, and I was like, what?” Adrian Olmstead told the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission after receiving a massive, blown-up cheque. “70 million bucks? I started shaking.”
The 44-year-old Blenheim stay-at home dad bought four LOTTO MAX at the Petro Canada/Double 7 gas bar for the April 14 draw.
He was in the grocery store when he noticed he matched all seven numbers.
“As soon as I hit the sidewalk, I started crying, walked right to my truck started bawling, and I called my mom,” recalled Olmstead. “Your mind starts spinning and spinning and in 30 different directions at once and that’s why I had to call my mom. I was like mooooommmmm.”
Olmstead plans to buy property, a good fishing boat, an RV to travel Canada and a fast car.
But he also plans to invest the money — and take care of his kids and future grandchildren — while also teaching them the value of a dollar.
“I want to make sure my family and I are secure, and safe and happy and beyond that, I don’t really know what comes next. I haven’t thought that far ahead, I’m still just so in the moment,” he said.
The other big winner here is the Petro Canada/Double 7 gas bar at the corner of Chatham and Marlborough Streets in Blenheim, Ont.
“Hearing that it was the winning ticket was exciting,” said Tony Boutros, the store Manager.
While he doesn’t remember selling the winning ticket, he said it’s already a popular lottery destination — and expects a windfall when people discover it was bought here.
Others remarked at the win calling it “a big piece of cake.”
“I could have used that money!” Said Orm Hawryluk, a regular customer. But he said he’s not jealous.
“I’m happy, it sounded like he could use it. I think it couldn’t a went to a better person,” said Hawryluk.
“I play maybe once a year, so I might start playing a little more often right now,” said Jane Anderson, after scooping up a ticket for Friday’s $60 million draw.
“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,” said John Nelson. “Anybody, it’s just a stroke of luck, is what it is.”
John Cotey buys all of his lottery tickets at the store — in fact, he’s won $2 million... and $50,000 with his co-workers in previous lotteries.
“Every spot is a luck spot. It depends on if you’re a lucky person,” Cotey said, noting everyone thinks they know what they’d do with that money — but it’s not that simple.
“That’s a dream world, you don’t realize that until you’ve got the money in your hand.”
The odds of winning LOTTO MAX jackpot is one in 33,294,800.
That makes it the most unlikely lottery game in Ontario to win.