Store staff split lottery pot

CTV Calgary: Lotto luck in Cochrane 22 people in a Cochrane office are sharing a Lotto Max win and a local charity will benefit. Elissa Carpenter reports.

A group of employees at Grand Avenue Pharmacy in Cochrane are dividing up $500,000 in lotto winnings after they purchased a ticket together for Friday’s LOTTO MAX draw.

The winnings will be split by 22 people at the store which works out to about $22,700 each.

“We had a pot-luck here last Wednesday which has been a tradition since my dad first opened this store in 1989 and we were kind of gathered around and someone said, hey I heard the lottery is going to be $100 Million and so we thought let’s put five bucks in and see what happens,” said Reid Kimmett.

Kimmett went and checked the ticket on Saturday and says he was shocked.

“Went over to the place we bought them and scanned the first one and it said we lost and I was like, well this is going to be a quick procedure, just do that for the next ones. And then the next one says it appears to be a $500,000 winner and I was like, na it doesn’t say that and I looked closer and sure enough that’s what it said,” said Kimmett.

He then called the rest of the people who had a share in the ticket to let them know they were getting an early Christmas present.

“It was just a neat weekend. Neat to share that news with people and hear each person’s unique reaction and hear what they want to do with their money,” said Kimmett.

“It was,are you kidding me? At first I thought he was phoning me to come to work because he dosen’t call me often and actually I was on the other line and had to call him back and it was fun. I really thought he was pulling my leg,” said Lotto winner, Debbie Beynon.

Some have earmarked part of the winnings for the Kimmett Cup in honour of Lindsay Kimmett who was killed in car crash.

“It honours my sister who died in 2008 in a car accident. She was a caring person and someone who liked playing hockey so the event kind of came from that and it’s family and friends, get together and play hockey and it’s kind of evolved into a bit of a fund raiser now as well so it’s been a big part of Lindsay’s legacy,” said Kimmett.

The 6^th annual Kimmett Cup goes January 17 and 18 at Mitford Pond and proceeds are going to Children’s Wish.

(With files from Elissa Carpenter)