Married couple struggle to believe first big lottery win, 'I was shocked'

Douglas Schaffer and Julie Balite, of Thornhill, Ont., turned the $10 Instant Crossword Deluxe lottery ticket into $250,000 with Game #3353. (Source: OLG)

Douglas Schaffer and Julie Balite turned the $10 Instant Crossword Deluxe lottery ticket they purchased at a gas station in Thornhill into $250,000.

The couple has been trying their luck with the lottery since they married eight years ago and said this was their first big win.

"I didn't think twice when I took my phone out to scan our ticket on the OLG app to see the prize amount," Balite said. "I stood there, staring at my phone in shock. Douglas was on a call, so I started waving my hands to get his attention. When he didn't look up at me, I started jumping up and down."

Schaffer admitted he thought they had likely won $40.

"When I saw the amount, I kept saying, 'What?' I was shocked," he said.

Despite winning the top prize, the pair have struggled to believe it.

"Winning feels awesome, although you sort of keep questioning if it is really happening," Schaffer said while picking up their winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

The couple hopes to plan a trip and invest.

What to Know

OLG requires lottery winners to sign the front and back of winning tickets and also recommends making a copy of the ticket for your records.

"Do not put additional writing or markings on your tickets as this can increase the time it takes OLG to process your prize claim," the OLG website notes.

Lottery winners have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.