NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO LOTTERY AND GAMING CORPORATION
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Donna Williamson of Thornhill and David Overall of Oakville, friends and former colleagues, started playing the lottery as a group to stay connected after they stopped working together. After more than 10 years of group play, the pair hit the big one, winning the massive $70-million jackpot from the Friday, July 31, 2020 LOTTO MAX draw.
Donna and David received their cheque at OLG Play Stage, Toronto's newest outdoor venue for sports and music events, located along the city's waterfront. The event was socially distanced to protect the health and safety of all involved. This was the second time a $70-million prize has been awarded in Ontario.
"It was my turn to buy a ticket that week and I considered buying a couple extra for my household, but I decided against it, because it only takes one ticket to win," laughed Donna, a 60-year-old retired finance employee. "I sent David an email with a scan of our ticket and a caption that said, 'Here are the numbers for the $70 million. Yabba dabba doo!'"
"Donna actually used our last Free Play to get the ticket," explained David, a 63-year-old who works in the grocery industry. "We were just hoping to win $20 so we could continue our short-term investment strategy," he chuckled.
Following the draw, Donna checked their numbers against those posted online. "With each number that matched, I celebrated with a 'Yay!' But when I got to matching five numbers I started wondering if I was imagining things," Donna recalled. "I woke up my partner to confirm what I was seeing!"
When Donna called David to tell him that they were the sole winners of $70 million, he was shocked. "All I could answer was, 'Get out!' It was surreal," he smiled.
"And more than 10 days later, it still doesn't feel real," shared Donna. "I don't know how you process something like this. Of all the things that are on my list of major life events, winning the lottery was not one of them. It's on a whole other level."
As for their plans for this life-changing prize? David plans to retire in September. "My wife, kids and I will take some time to settle into our new reality before making any big decisions. Maybe a cottage is in our future?" he contemplated.
Donna has a similar sentiment. "I haven't had a chance to think about the future too much. We'd love to travel more when it's safe to so but we're going to take it step by step."
"We're excited to share this joyful news with our family and friends," concluded David.
Since its launch in September 2009, Ontario LOTTO MAX players have won over $5.6 billion, including 76 jackpot wins and 608 MAXMILLIONS prizes, right across the province. LOTTO MAX draws are twice a week – on Tuesdays and Fridays. For each $5 play, players receive three sets of seven numbers ranging from one to fifty. Players must match all seven numbers, in any one set, to win the jackpot or the MAXMILLIONS prizes.
The winning ticket was purchased at Brothers Convenience on Bay Thorn Drive in Thornhill.
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