Wasaga Beach retiree in disbelief after winning top lottery prize on scratch ticket

Wendy Pritchard of Wasaga Beach is celebrating after winning a $250,000 top prize with INSTANT CROSSWORD DELUXE (Game #3356).

Wendy Pritchard was surrounded by family when she discovered she had won the top prize of $250,000 with her instant scratch lottery ticket.

The retiree from Wasaga Beach has been trying her luck with the lottery since the days of Wintario. She really enjoys playing the instant games, a pastime she shared with her mother-in-law.

"She would take her time and scratch them very carefully with chopsticks," Pritchard recalled of her husband’s mother.

Pritchard purchased an Instant Crossword Deluxe ticket for $10 at Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach, and said she was relaxing with family when she decided to check her ticket.

“When I discovered it was a big winner, I was in disbelief and thought there had been a mistake,” she shared. “I double-checked the words many times.”

Initially, Pritchard and her husband didn’t realize just how much she had won.

“At first, I thought I’d won $250. Then my husband said, ‘It’s $25,000.’ We checked it again and were astonished to realize it was really $250,000.”

The Wasaga Beach woman said life would be a little more comfortable with the money, adding she plans to put it toward her retirement. But first, she wanted to treat her family to a nice dinner.

“We want to fill out our bucket list,” she added. “This win will definitely add some excitement to our lives.”