Canadian Woman Waited Half a Year to Collect $1 Million Lotto Win
Woman from Canada decides to claim her Lotto win after six months
An old proverb says good things come to those who wait, but what if you should decide to wait a bit longer.
That’s exactly what Ida Mataya did when she won $1 million in the Lotto 6/49 last summer.
Patience Is a Virtue
A mother from Edmonton opted to wait six months before she collected her Lotto prize, which is something you won’t see very often. The majority of those who win such cash rewards can’t wait to pick up their money and start spending it as soon as possible. Mataya did just the opposite.
As she explained, she didn’t want to draw any attention to herself, and – more importantly – she wanted to have clear idea on what to do with her prize.
She sure was patient, since the Lotto draw she won $1 million was held on August 24 last year. The woman checked and confirmed she actually won the very next day and after a careful deliberation with her sons, the rather surprising decision to wait was made.
Mataya admitted she was very happy, but she wanted to make sure the money would be used in the right way. Now, after she collected her prize, the first thing to do is to buy a new house for her family. She said there are plans to go to a vacation with her sons, but also to financially help her nieces with their education.
New Winners
Saturday night’s draw gave us three new winners, who won a total jackpot of $7 million, while the guaranteed $1 million went to the Prairies. The winning tickets were sold in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, and it remains to be seen whether the new winners would be as patient as Mataya.
Next Lotto 6/49 draw will be held on Women’s Day with the jackpot of $5 million in play. We’re still waiting on a winner of Lotto Max Draw, which is worth nearly $26 million.
