An Alberta couple who just claimed the biggest lottery jackpot in the provinceâs history say theyâre going to let the win sink in a little bit before they decide what to do with the $60 million. They did, however, make one purchase already â a brand new truck.
âWe did get a new truck so, you know, we could get here,â Robin Walker told a packed room filled with reporters during a press conference in St. Albert, Alta. on Wednesday.
Walker and Brett McCoy purchased the $11 âquick pickâ Lotto Max winning ticket on Sept. 22 from McLeod Trading Post in the hamlet of Peers. The following day, the couple from Yellowhead County returned to the same store to pick up some chicken feed for their hobby farm and treats for Walkerâs four children.
When Walker checked her lottery ticket she couldnât believe all of the numbers that popped up across the screen.
âI thought, âThat canât be right.â So, I scanned the ticket again then I ran outside and told Brett we won $60,000. The store clerk came after me and said, âRobin, count the zeroes.ââ
The prize-winning numbers were 2, 10, 37, 38, 43 and 47.
As they claimed their $60-million cheque, Walker said theyâre still in shock.
âProbably in a week weâll wake up and be like, âIt really happened,ââ she said.
Although Walkerâs children, who are between the ages of 4 and 16, have many âridiculousâ plans for the money, she says theyâre going to pay it forward.
âI think our discussion has been solid the whole time that we had everything, now we just have money as well,â she said. âI think thereâs a responsibility that comes with a number like that. A lot of people can benefit from it.â
McCoy did add, however, that theyâre going to use some of the winnings to expand their farm.
âShe can buy all the chickens sheâs wanted now,â he said with a laugh.
Walker said she and McCoy are âcommon, everyday blue-collar Albertansâ who are âlifelongâ lotto players. When asked if they planned to continue buying lottery tickets after their big win, Walker quickly responded yes.
âIâll be more excited buying them now,â she said.
The tiny hamlet of Peers, about 180 kilometres west of Edmonton, may only have a population of 120 according to its website, but it appears to be a charmed place for lottery players. In 2005, a couple from Peers won a $8.2-million prize and two years later, another resident claimed a $11-million jackpot.