The identity of a Chatham-Kent man who won a massive lottery jackpot nearly six months ago has finally been revealed.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) said Adrian Olmstead of Blenheim was overcome with emotion upon discovering he was holding the only winning ticket for the whopping $70 million Lotto Max jackpot from the April 14 draw. The OLG said this is the third time that the maximum jackpot has been won in Canada.
“I went into the local grocery store, saw there was no one at the Ticket Checker and checked four tickets in my pocket,” said the 44-year-old as he collected his life-changing windfall at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. “From the first three tickets I only had a Free Play but when I scanned the fourth ticket, I saw ‘Big Winner’ and thought I saw $70,000 flashing. I checked it a few more times and was stunned to realize it was $70 million!”
The OLG added Olmstead abandoned his full shopping cart, quickly walked out of the store, got into his truck and started to weep. He then phoned his mom, who heard him crying and was instantly worried.
“These are tears of joy mom because I just won $70 million with Lotto Max!" he told her. "I had to repeat myself a few times because she was in shock. But when reality sunk in, my mom, who never swears, yelled a few expletives!”
Olmstead is a stay-at-home father of two children and said he took some time before coming forward to claim the ticket because he wanted to make sure he had the best advice on how to handle the money. He said this jackpot will impact his and his family’s lives.
“My priority is that we live a good life, but I want to raise my children to know the value of a dollar, understand the meaning of hard work and to teach them how to provide for themselves when they are adults,” Olmstead added.
The new millionaire plans to buy a new home with "lots of land" so his children have plenty of room to play and will take care of his mother. He also wants to splurge on a couple of “toys” for the family such as an RV, so they can travel across Canada and wants to have a new fishing boat in tow on those adventures. The OLG said the big winner reluctantly admitted he also wants to buy a “fast car” as a special treat for himself.
“The most important thing to me has always been to provide for my family. I can now do that in ways I never dreamed of before," said Olmstead. "This money can even ensure a good fortune for my future grandchildren.”
The winning ticket was bought at the Petro Canada/Double Seven Gas Bar on Chatham Street in Blenheim.