Ottawa couple claims $55M Lotto Max top prize
Posted Aug 30, 2023 10:55:33 AM.
Last Updated Aug 30, 2023 10:57:37 AM.
An Ottawa couple has 55 million reasons to smile.
Keith and Debra Polachek of Ottawa won the Lotto Max top prize of $55 million in the Aug. 11 draw.
The married couple said they’ve been playing the lottery occasionally for several years and typically buy tickets when the jackpots are high.
And, they always say yes to Encore.
“We used to talk about what we’d do if we ever won the lottery,” shared Debra, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up their winnings, “When it happened, it was kind of what we had discussed!”
When they found out they won, the pair were calm and collected.
“Our reaction was laid back, but we were very happy,” said Debra. “We realized we had a lot of preparation to do.”
Keith and Debra haven’t made any major plans with their winnings just yet.
“We’re working through the steps on our to-do list,” said Debra with a laugh. “That’s just who we are! We’ve surrounded ourselves with good advisors to help guide us through this process.”
Keith added the couple aren’t the type of people to react in a big, flashy way.
“Right now, everything’s the same in our day-to-day lives, and this win won’t change us,” he said.
The couple plans to give back in ways that are meaningful to them.
The winning ticket was purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart on Bank Street in Ottawa
