Submitted by Saskatchewan Lotteries
Wade Thomas made a change to a 35-year tradition, and it paid off one million times over. The Strasbourg resident and his mother, Jean, won a $1 million Maxamillions prize on the Tuesday, June 11 Lotto Max draw.
Wade played Lotto Max numbers 2, 8, 15, 26, 28, 40 and 41 for 35 years, but when he purchased his ticket for the June 11 draw he decided to change the last two numbers.
“I’m not entirely sure what made me change a couple numbers,” he said. “I just felt like I needed that change.”
“The first five numbers are a combination of birthdays and other significant dates in my family,” he continued. “I noticed I didn’t have anything in the 30s, so I added 33; and I had a good feeling about the new number, 50.”
Wade purchased the winning Lotto Max ticket at the Sherwood Co-op located at 460 Albert Street in Regina. He discovered the win the following day when he checked the winning numbers report at a local gas bar and restaurant. One of the 10 sets of Maxamillions numbers exactly matched his selection – 2, 8, 15, 26, 28, 33 and 50.
“I don’t normally check the winning numbers for Maxamillions, but my phone had died, and I wanted to read something as I drank my coffee,” he said. “I knew the first five numbers matched, but I had to double-check the last two.”
“I went home to tell my mom,” he remembered. “We checked the numbers online to confirm we had actually won.”
Jean said she was happy when she saw the numbers matched, but she had a hard time believing they had won the lottery.
“I really couldn’t believe it,” she said. “Our family has always worked hard just to get by, and now things will just be easier – it’s unbelievable.”
The happy winners have a couple plans for their windfall, starting with some home renovations.
“We’re going to put a new roof on the house and build a garage,” said Wade. “Eventually, I’d also like to book a trip to Europe.”
“The most important thing to both of us is that we get to live without financial stress,” said Jean. “That’s a real dream come true.”
Saskatchewan Lotteries is the fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture, recreation and community groups. Learn about games, jackpots, winning numbers, and more, at www.sasklotteries.ca.
