Waterloo man wins $500,000
Thomas Gartshore posed with a large novelty cheque after claiming his OLG DAILY GRAND winnings. (Submitted: OLG)
A Waterloo man is celebrating a big win with OLG’s Daily Grand.
Thomas Gartshore matched all five numbers during the Nov. 11 draw to win $25,000 a year for life.
Instead of taking the yearly payments, Gartshore opted for a lump sum payment of $500,000.
Gartshore is a retired public service worker who said he’s been playing the lottery with OLG for more than 20 years.
“I was at the store shopping for milk when I decided to use the ticket checker to see how I did on my Daily Grand ticket,” he explained while picking up his prize in Toronto. “I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen and thought, ‘This can’t be right!’ I scanned my ticket a few more times, but the message didn’t change.”
He said he also had to convince his wife it was real.
“Winning this prize feels like freedom. I will now be debt-free! I plan to help my kids with their student loans, treat my wife to a trip and do some work around the house,” he said.
The winning ticket was bought at Kitchen Food Fair Convenience on Columbia Street West in Waterloo.
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