Three people from Kitchener have a lot to celebrate after winning major OLG prizes. Belinda and Ian Park are claiming the $1 million prize from the July 26 Lotto Max draw. The married couple said they have been playing the lottery together for 31 years but this is their first big win. “I went to the store to pick up our tickets and check a few from previous draws. I scanned the first ticket on the ticket checker and thought I saw ‘$100,000’ appear on the screen,” Ian recounted while picking up their winnings. “Once the clerk was finished with other customers, I asked her to look at what I was seeing. I scanned the ticket again and she said, ‘OMG! You won $1 million!’ Instantly, I could feel myself turning red. She validated the ticket on the lottery terminal and that’s when it sunk in. I knew I had to tell Belinda immediately!” The pair plan to pay off their house, help their children and save for retirement next year. The OLG said they bought their winning ticket at the Rexall on Ottawa Street in Kitchener. Another woman from Kitchener, Esther Tin Thangbal, also won a million dollar prize in the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Draw from Dec. 6, 2023. “I bought my ticket quite a while ago! I set it to the side and forgot about it for a few months,” Tin Thangbal explained. “I happened to see the ticket in my purse and remembered I had yet to check it. When I realized it was a winner, I had some mixed emotions. This win came at a special time, and I didn’t know how to feel. I shared the news with my husband, and he had a similar reaction. It was definitely a shock!” She plans to pay bills, donate to medical research and share some of the money with her family. The OLG said she purchased the winning ticket at Stop 2 Shop on Hazelglen Drive in Kitchener.
