King City grandmother ‘thrilled’ after $1M lottery win

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Maria-Anna Tarantino, of King City, Ont., had won modest amounts playing the lottery before but nothing ever this big.

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The mother and grandmother took home $1 million in the Maxmillions prize in the Aug. 13, 2024 Lotto Max draw.

“I was out shopping when I remembered to check my tickets. I had four to check and one ended up being a big winner,” Tarantino told OLG.

“I was in shock and ran straight home to call my son. I was in a bit of a panic, but once I spoke with him and he assured me it was real, I was thrilled!

She is planning on sharing her winnings with family and traveling with her grandchildren.

“Winning is a great feeling,” Tarantinto told OLG. “I am not only blessed by this prize, but also with an incredible family that supports me.”

The winning ticket was bought at King Cigar Plus on Yonge St. in Richmond Hill.

MAPLE MAN WINS BIG

Patience paid off for Maple, Ont., retiree Ryszard Zajkowski who won big after playing the lottery with OLG for more than 35 years.

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Ryszard won $1 million in the Maxmillions prize in the Aug. 6, 2024 Lotto Max draw.

“When I realized I had won, I was left in disbelief,” Ryszard told OLG. “I thought there was no way this could be real! My body was shaking from head to toe. When I told my wife the news, she cried tears of joy. We are so happy. This experience has been miraculous!”

For the time being, Ryszard plans to save his windfall.

His winning ticket was bought at Metro on Southdown Rd. in Mississauga.

DESERONTO MOM HAS WINNING TICKET

Natalie Doreen, of Deseronto, Ont., is an occasional lottery player who sometimes pick up a ticket when she’s out.

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Good thing she did this time.

The 40-year-old mom won $50,000 after buying an Instant Crossword ticket.

“I was playing my ticket and thought maybe I had won $25,000.” Doreen told OLG. “I checked my ticket using the OLG app and was shocked to see that I had actually won $50,000. I was shaking and must have checked my ticket three more times, just to be sure!”

Her next stop was her parents’ house.

“Everyone was surprised and so happy for me. I think I’m still in shock! Winning a prize like this is hard to believe,” Doreen told OLG.

Other than a taking a vacation with her son, she hasn’t decided yet what to do with her prize money.

The winning ticket was bought at Camden Variety on Camden Rd. in Napanee.

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