MOOSE JAW — Pierre Gravel is still in shock after winning $1,000,020 on the Feb. 20 LOTTO Max draw. The Moose Jaw local took home one of the evening’s 10 Maxmillions prizes.
Gravel joked that he initially didn't even register that the number he saw when he scanned his ticket was a prize amount.
"I thought it was an error code," he said. “I called the prize office to make sure it wasn’t – I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the rest of the day if I didn’t confirm.”
Once he realized he won the lottery – $1 million Maxmillions prize + $20 in subsidiary prizing – Gravel said he was stunned.
“I went right into shock,” he laughed while claiming his prize in Regina. “I checked the ticket again and again. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
“Honestly, I never thought this would happen to me,” he added.
Gravel said the shock of his win has yet to sink in, but it hasn’t stopped him from thinking up a list of things to do with his windfall.
“I have always thought if you have a house that is paid off you are set for life – and now we are! It’s a great feeling!”
Knowing his house will be paid for and his family is taken care of has given Gravel the opportunity to revisit a couple of dreams.
“My dream career is to be a rally car racer,” he said. “I’d like to look into building a car and racing it.”
“My partner and I would also like to take our son travelling,” he continued. “We’d love to see everything, but Argentina, Switzerland and Scandinavia are the top places on our list!”
Gravel purchased his winning ticket from the Shell at 200-1st Ave. NW in Moose Jaw. He won his prize by matching one of the 10 Maxmillions draws on the Feb. 20 draw – 7, 15, 18, 22, 31, 35 and 37.
Friday’s Lotto Max jackpot is an estimated $15 million. Saturday’s Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot is an estimated $56, plus the $5 million Classic draw. Tickets can be purchased at all Retail Spot locations or online on the Lotto Spot app or by subscription at SubscriptionSpot.ca.
Sask Lotteries is celebrating 50 years as the main fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture and recreation groups in communities across the province! Since 1974, through an agreement with the Government of Saskatchewan, lottery sales in Saskatchewan have been used to provide more than $1.4 billion to support athletes from the grassroots level to the international stage, connect youth to artistic experiences, help residents experience the beauty of the parks that cover the province and so much more. Learn about games, jackpots, winning numbers and more at sasklotteries.ca.
— Submitted by Sask Lotteries
