Eastern Ontario woman says $2.45M Catch the Ace lottery win ‘life-changing’

Shelley Eckford, of Fitzroy Harbour, won $2.45 million in the Kin Club of Russell's Catch the Ace lottery on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa)

Shelley Eckford, of Fitzroy Harbour, Ont., became a multimillionaire in an instant on Sunday.

She won $2.45 million after playing the Catch the Ace lottery held by the Kin Club of Russell.

“You’re a millionaire,” exclaimed Chair Doug Anthony over the phone to Eckford on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday morning, Eckford told CTV News Ottawa she’s still processing the life-changing news.

“I’m extremely happy and extremely grateful,” she said.

The lottery works like this: every week, a draw is held to open one of 52 envelopes in search of the winning ace of spades. It had been running for 51 weeks, with the prize swelling to millions of dollars, leading to a frenzy of ticket buying in Russell, Ont., and across the province before Sunday’s draw, in which only two envelopes remained.

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“I said, if I’m meant to win, the right number will be picked,” Eckford said. “This just blows my mind.”

More than 86,000 tickets were purchased by people across Ontario, says Anthony.

The lottery raised more than $3.3 million for 26 charities, which include organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters Cornwall, Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, Special Olympics Ontario, and the Good Neighbours Food Bank in Russell, Ont.

Diane Hayes, chair of the Breast Cancer Action Ottawa, says the support of the Catch the Ace lottery has meant a great deal to the organization and those it supports.

“This has been the most epic thing that could ever happen to the organization,” she explained. “COVID was devastating for us. It just about killed us. We couldn’t do fundraising. We couldn’t do anything. And, thanks to some people in the community, we were able to be sustained. We’ve got programs.”

Anthony says the work for Catch the Ace is all done by volunteers.

“It is great to live in this town, and everybody gets together and it’s collaborative,” he says. “It’s wonderful. And if you keep on asking, you’ll get tears in my eyes.”

It was the ultimate win-win that Eckford and her husband Joey Sawyer never thought would include them.

“I was at work. I was driving on the highway, and Shelly phoned me, and I could just tell from her voice that something wasn’t right,” he said. “And she’s so excited and could hardly breathe or talk. And then, like, what’s going on? She’s like, I just won $2.4 million. I was like, you’re joking me.”

Eckford says she’s been playing on and off for three years, but when the pot swelled she jumped in.

In all, she spent just $50.

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Eckford says she now has dreams of going on their first family trip and renovating their home.

But it’s looking at her 15-year-old daughter Heidi and knowing they can provide for her that means the most.

“You worry about your kids,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to do that for her.”

She said she is also grateful to the organizers who gave up their weekends all year to make it happen.

“Thank you everyone,” Eckford said, becoming emotional. “Life changing.”

• RELATED STORY: Russell, Ont. Catch the Ace winner takes home $2.45 million