Lotto Max Winners From BC Say They'll Give Their Restaurant Staff A Bonus For The Holidays

A couple in B.C. won a Lotto Max draw and decided to use some of their winnings to give their restaurant staff a special holiday bonus.

The lucky pair, Emmanouel and Stavroula Savvaidis, live in Powell River, and they purchased their winning ticket at the Chevron Town Pantry, according to the BCLC.

They checked their ticket later though, at a Save-On-Foods, where they discovered they had won the huge amount of $500,000.

When they found out that they won, the couple were in total shock.

Stavroula said that they were shaking with excitement, and Emmanouel added that they couldn't even read the amount that they had won at first because they were so excited.

Once they were able to let it sink in a bit, and find out just how much they won, they started telling their family members.

They made their first calls to their son and daughter, who they said were happy for them.

The couple owns a restaurant and said that they "decided to use part of their prize to treat staff to an extra-special, early Christmas bonus."

Aside from the extremely heartwarming gift to their staff, they also are going to share some of the winnings with immediate family and are planning to take a trip overseas.

Stavroula said that they would love to take a trip "back home to Greece to visit our family as well."