Just days before the Lunar New Year — a holiday that celebrates fresh starts and good fortune — five co-workers from Etobicoke struck gold, winning the $60 million LOTTO MAX jackpot.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the winners of the Jan. 21 $60 million jackpot were Trang Pham and Suong Tran of Mississauga, Phong Phan of Brampton, Thuc Le of Toronto and Zou Hsieh of Scarborough.
It all started when Pham, the team’s group leader, suggested they chip in for a ticket for the draw.
“About a week before Lunar New Year, I was buying creamer for the office and thought I’d pick up a ticket for the group,” Pham said in a news release.
The very next day, headlines revealed the winning ticket had been sold in Etobicoke and Pham wasted no time in checking her ticket.
“I checked ours [numbers] right away. I reviewed the numbers myself and saw that one of the lines matched exactly. I couldn’t believe it, so checked the ticket again, this time on the OLG app. When I saw $60 million on the screen, I was in total shock. I took a screenshot and sent it to the group chat right away,” Pham continued.
Her message in the group chat sent shockwaves through the team, as texts and calls poured in. Suong Tran even thought Trang was pulling a prank, and couldn’t believe it was legitimate.
Phan said he was about to clock into work when he saw the message.
“I couldn’t believe it. Then I did. I was so happy…I didn’t know what was going on! So many emotions. I even checked the numbers myself. It was hard to act normal that day!” Phan said.
Hsieh and Le were told in person and were in complete disbelief. They couldn’t eat or sleep for a couple of days.
The moment of realization that they were multi-millionaires didn’t set in until OLG’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Jim Warren, awarded them with a giant red envelope to honour the traditional Lunar Year gift of money.
Each member is now $12 million richer and making big, heartfelt plans.
Pham’s dream is grounded in gratitude for the sacrifices her parents made as newcomers in Canada.
“Purchasing a home has been a dream of mine since my parents relocated to Canada. They made so many sacrifices for me, and now it’s my time to take care of them. I also plan to make some investments and tap into my inner philanthropist,” she said.
Phan wants to take time off work to travel and start his own business. Hsieh wants to retire and travel the world, and hopefully catch the beauty of the Northern Lights along the way.
Le plans to buy a home for his family and treat themselves to a new car. Meanwhile, Tran is taking a more thoughtful approach, carefully considering how to support the causes that matter most to her.
The lucky LOTTO MAX ticket was bought at a Giant Tiger on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke.
