GOODSOIL — Curtis and James Hofer say they were convinced something was wrong with the barcode when the ticket checker showed their Lotto Max ticket had won $1,000,000.
But it was exactly right – the happy father and son won on one of the five Maxmillions draws Dec. 4.
“I stopped to check a couple tickets on my way to work,” said Curtis. “I had a few tickets to check. The first two weren’t winners, and I had to scan the third one twice because I was accidentally covering part of the barcode.”
“I started thinking, Come on! Let me win a free play or something!” he continued. “Then I scanned my fourth ticket and saw a bunch of zeros. I thought for sure I was covering the barcode again. So I scanned it again and couldn’t believe it.”
The Goodsoil resident said he didn’t know how to react to the win and was in a state of shock.
“I kept taking a step one way, then taking a step the other way,” he said. “I had to take a lap around the store to get myself together.”
After discovering the win, Curtis called his dad and told him he had some news.
“I called him and said, ‘I’m kind of freaking out right now. I think I’m holding a $1 million winning lottery ticket.’”
“All I could say was, ‘Well, I sure hope you are!’” finished James.
The Hofers are looking forward to using their winnings to help make life easier for themselves and their family.
“It’s really nice that I’ll be able to help my dad more on our farm,” said Curtis. “I don’t have to work for someone else for the rest of my life.”
“We’re not going to live like we’re broke,” said James. “But we’re not going to waste the money either. We won’t be blowing it!”
