To this winner, nothing is more important than putting a smile on someone's face
By Kate Northrop
THOROLD, Canada — It's not uncommon for newly minted lottery winners to put their prize money toward home improvements, a home, or simply investing it, but one Canadian man just wants to put a smile on his loved one's faces.
Christopher Winterbottom, 37, took home $2 million (US$ 1.6 million) in the Oct. 6 drawing for the Ontario Lottery's Ontario 49 draw game. With that money, he wants to splurge on various acts of kindness.
The St. Catharines resident stopped at the Shell Food Mart on Schmon Parkway in Thorold, where he bought the winning ticket using significant dates and numbers.
When the drawing came around, he checked his numbers and thought he won $2,000, but he was in for an even bigger surprise.
"When I realized I won $2 million I was kind of taken aback!" Winterbottom recalled. "I'm pretty sure you could have seen my heart pounding out of my chest."
Now that he secured a big prize with the winning numbers 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 15, he says he'll keep on using his lucky combination.
"These are the numbers I won on and will continue to play," he said.
The winner beat the odds of matching all six numbers minus the Bonus ball of 1 in 13.98 million to win the game's top prize of $2 million, but beating the odds and feeling the adrenaline of winning is not everything that Winterbottom is most excited about. The best part, he says, was telling his son.
"Seeing the look on his face is when it really felt real to me," the single father said. "I feel so fortunate. This is an incredible opportunity to share joy with the people I love the most."
The first thing on his to-do list? He'll take his son and his entire basketball team to Footlocker for a spending spree.
"I can't wait to see the look on their faces!" Winterbottom remarked. "This win gives me the opportunity to brighten people's days with small acts of kindness."
There's one more important area he wants to address with his winnings, and that's donating to a cancer center in honor of his mother's journey.
"I would love to have her name on a plaque so everyone can know how much of a warrior she is," he finished.
Congratulations! He sounds like an overall nice guy.
Is it mandatory to have your name and face plastered like his in Canada???
Winterbottom is a good name for someone living in Canada.
Cuz you freeze your azz off up there in the wintertime.
lol lol Almost as good as your famous case of beer guy comment (guy worked for a state lottery....casebier?)
LOL, that's the truth.
Congrats to the lucky guy, enjoy
You got a good memory, Artist.
I can't hardly remember what I had for breakfast.
Oh wait a minute... it was a squirrel.
Better believe it.
Freeze yer azz off all winter and get chased and gnawed on by wolverines all summer.
That's fantastic! However, I hope he gets professional, independent financial advice, so he can provide long-term financial security for himself and his family for decades to come.
$2 million wouldn't go as far nowadays as it once did.