A group of Lotto Max winners scored a $50 million jackpot with a shared ticket!
The general store that sold the ticket kept the names of the group members in a notebook, which helped track down the new millionaires.
Recently, it was announced that the $50 million jackpot from the Lotto Max draw on September 5 was won by 14 residents of Basse–Côte-Nord, a territory in eastern Quebec.
Each of the winners has received $3,571,428 from this massive jackpot.
The winning ticket was a "Formule groupe" ticket purchased at St-Paul's River General Store in the small community of Bonne-Espérance.
Loto-Québec offers "Formule groupe" tickets, which allow people to purchase one or more shares in a group organized by a retailer or another lottery player.
The Lotto Max winning numbers that this ticket matched were 4, 16, 20, 30, 34, 46 and 50.
The morning after the draw, one of the members found out that the lottery group had won the Lotto Max jackpot.
Diana Griffin Blanche checked the Lotto Max results while drinking her morning coffee.
"Check, but I think we won $50 million," she told fellow member Malinda Griffin, who is also a friend and one of the store employees.
Then, through phone calls and word of mouth in the small community, the other winners were quickly tracked down.
It helped that the general store employees had written down the names of the group players in a notebook.
After everyone found out about the $50 million win, the group gathered at the store for an impromptu party.
The winners of this Lotto Max jackpot are Faye Bilodeau, Loretta Cabot Griffin, Charlotte F. Fequet, Diana Griffin Blanche, Malinda Griffin, Maud Griffin O'Brien, Deborah Ellen Goddard Griffin, Adam Jones Fowler, Deborah Pennefather, Bradley O'Brien, Wanita Roberts, Carolyn Amy Sims, Della Tina Eleanor Spingle, and Lionel Spingle.
Group of winners with a Lotto Max cheque.Loto-Québec
Loretta Cabot Griffin, a 70-year-old who worked in fish processing, found out she had become a millionaire while at work.
She took off her hairnet and announced that she was retiring immediately!
Adam Jones Fowler is a road worker in Rivière-Saint-Paul, and he was told about the win through a video call.
"I think you won't need to go back to work anymore," Griffin told him.
Even with the multimillion-dollar win, he only plans to cut down his hours at work to have more time for hobbies like hunting and fishing.
Loto-Québec revealed that the other winners want to use their share of the $50 million jackpot to build a cottage, buy a new truck and travel with their family.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.