Every time there’s a draw for the Lotto Max jackpot, Marcel Lussier spends the night before crafting a list of everything he would like to do with the prize money.
Lussier opened his computer to access the Loto Québec website. He felt his blood pressure rise as he read the winning numbers on his screen — 6, 13, 17, 20, 28 and so on — then rushed over to his wife.
Lussier, dressed in a floral shirt and sporting a relaxed smile, was at the Loto Québec headquarters in downtown Montreal Friday morning to gather his winnings and address the media.
Loto-Québec announced on Wednesday that the $70-million winning ticket had been sold in the province. Quebec bettors also won two of the 18 Maxmillion prizes awarded Tuesday night.
He’s also walking away with an additional $27,000 in secondary prizes. The dépanneur where he bought the ticket, on Rome Blvd. in Brossard, will also receive $700,000, representing one per cent of the jackpot.
Lussier and his wife have lived in the same house in the Montérégie area since the 1970s. After learning they won, they looked for a hiding spot in their home to make sure they didn’t somehow lose the ticket before cashing in.
But more importantly, Lussier said, he’s already in talks with an entrepreneur about how they could help rebuild parts of war-torn Ukraine, perhaps through donating pre-fabricated homes.
He was also trying to wrap his head around a coincidence: While employed with Hydro-Québec, Lussier once worked in the very building where he was now being handed a large novelty cheque.
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source: Montreal Gazette
