A $60-million jackpot, one winning ticket, and 31 new millionaires for Newfoundland and Labrador Français
- Father and son, twin brothers, and married couple are members of winning group
- Avondale, population 600, has eight new millionaires
- Five workers choosing to retire immediately
ST. JOHN'S, Feb. 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Newfoundland and Labrador has 31 new millionaires thanks to a winning ticket on the Feb. 23 LOTTO MAX draw. The ticket was the sole winner of one of the largest jackpots in Canadian history and represents the largest prize ever awarded in Atlantic Canada.
The 31 winners are members of the Boilermakers Local 203 and work at the Come By Chance Oil Refinery. Sherry Moore Hickey, shop steward, purchased the group's winning ticket. She said the group has been buying tickets together for three months.
"We throw in $5 each, so we had $155 worth of tickets," Moore Hickey said.
On the morning of Feb. 24, Atlantic Canadians woke up to the news that someone in Newfoundland and Labrador had won $60 million. Eugene Lewis, a boilermaker, was one of the first to hear the news.
"I checked the numbers at 4:30 a.m., woke up my wife, and got her to check them," Lewis said. "A couple of calls later we decided we better call Sherry."
Moore Hickey said, at first, "it was hard to believe it was happening."
"I made 28 other phone calls to tell the group members individually that we had the winning ticket," she said. "They had some choice words for me as they thought I was joking."
The only person Moore Hickey didn't have to call was her husband.
Sherry and Lee Hickey work together and their household will receive two shares of the winnings. They are not the only close connections in the group. Frank and Cody Woodford are father and son, Bob and William Cantwell are identical twin brothers, and the community of Avondale, with a population of a little over 600, has eight new millionaires — three of them living on the same street.
Plans for the winnings include paying off mortgages, buying vehicles, and investing in children's and grandchildren's education funds.
"I retired at 5:15 Saturday morning when Sherry called me," Lewis said, "I am not working one more day."
Four others retired immediately. Twenty-six group members are going back to work to finish Tank 219, a project at the refinery.
"We need to see it through, it's the right thing to do for the other Boilermakers in our union," Moore Hickey said. "We want to ensure when we leave, we leave our membership in good standing."
Circle K in Holyrood, N.L., sold the winning ticket and will receive a one per cent seller's prize.
List of winners and towns:
Sherry Moore Hickey – Avondale
Lee Hickey – Avondale
William Cantwell - Avondale
Cody Woodford – Avondale
Howard Costello – Avondale
John Doyle – Avondale
Vincent Hoskins – Avondale
Francis Woodford – Avondale
Colin Walsh – Chapel's Cove
Eugene Lewis – Harbour Main
Paul Murphy – Harbour Main
Robert Cantwell – Harbour Main
Colin Gillingham – Holyrood
Patrick Williams – Holyrood
John Noseworthy – Conception Harbour
Augustine Conway – Colliers
Kenneth Abbott – Clarke's Beach
Raymond Flaherty – St. John's
James Harvey – Tors Cove
Terrence Wadman – Clarenville
George Hollett – Chance Cove
Lindsay Barrett – Arnold's Cove
Scott Hawco – Ferryland
Herbert Smith – Northwest Brook
Chris Hindy – Heart's Delight
Michael Pritchard – Goulds
Shawn Knuckle – Conception Bay South
Adam Parsons – Southern Harbour
Dustin Flight – Southern Harbour
Eliol Strugnell – Whitbourne
Todd Stapleton – Appleton
About Group Play
A Group Play Tracking Form is available from Atlantic Lottery for lottery groups at www.alc.ca/content/alc/en/our-games/group-lottery-play. If a group wins a prize of more than $10,000, they complete a Group Win Agreement.
To fill out this form, the group needs to appoint one to three members as group trustees. The cheque will be made out to the trustee(s) on behalf of everyone, and this person or persons must be present to claim the prize.
Note:
The 31 winners will each receive $1,875,000.09. One additional amount of $1,875,000.09 is being withheld until resolution is reached on a potential additional group member. The rules and regulations governing national lotteries provide that if there is a dispute with regard to a money prize, the money may be withheld from payment and paid into Court. Any dispute is then determined by the Court.
SOURCE Atlantic Lottery Corporation Inc. (ALC)
Media contacts: Tracy Shute, [email protected], Cell: (709) 631-8442; Molly Cormier, [email protected], Cell: (506) 380-3455
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