A Lac La Biche woman is still coming to terms with a life-changing lottery win after claiming $1 million in the April 18 LOTTO MAX draw.
Anna Verhaeghe won one of two MAXIMILLIONS prizes drawn that day, according to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Alberta Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis. She purchased her winning ticket at Fiddler’s Food Gas Water and Carwash at 9031 101 Avenue in Lac la Biche.
Verhaeghe said she was stunned when she learned she had won. “I gave the ticket to the cashier,” she recalled. “Then I had to take a minute to count all the zeros. I could not believe there were six of them.” She added that she still wakes up some mornings thinking it was all a dream.
For now, Verhaeghe hasn’t made any decisions about how to use her winnings. “I’m going to put it away for now,” she said. “I never, ever, thought I would win a million dollars. I want to take time to think about what to do with it.” She added that retirement may be on the table.
She won with the number: 9, 24, 30, 31, 36, 42 and 44.
