Winnipeg resident Walter Gonzalez probably thought that May 28 was going to be just another regular day but lady luck was on hand to prove him wrong. He found himself frozen in disbelief when he realized he had a winning lottery ticket in his hands.
Gonzalez made his serendipitous purchase at the Red River Co-op at 1376 Regent Ave. W. in Winnipeg. The winning numbers that changed his life were 3, 14, 18, 19, 39, 41, and 45.
In an interview, he revealed the waves of incredulity he went through.
“When I saw that I had won $1 million, I had to check the ticket again and again, I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t believe it. I can’t explain how I was feeling except to say my whole body was in shock. I scanned it at least ten times before I started believing it was true.” He said.
His frantic checking over, it finally dawned on him that he had won $1 million from one of that night’s 12 MaxMillions draws.
Gonzalez revealed his plans for his winnings, saying,
“I want to put most of the money into savings, I might buy a house and all of that at some point, but for now I want to put it away and make sure my family is set up for the future.”
While Gonzalez was quick to snatch up his win, there is still a ticket worth $500,000 from 2020 that remains unclaimed.
The Lotto Max ticket from the July 17, 2020 draw was purchased in Manitoba, close to Winnipeg, but its rightful owner has yet to step forward.
Winners are only given a full year from the date of the draw to claim their prize, so the half-a-million winner has precious little time left before their fortune is lost.
