Meet the locals who hit the jackpot in 2023

2023 was a very lucky year for several Airdrie residents who had some large windfalls of cash due to winning the lottery.

This past May, Airdrie resident, Arnel Villafania was among those lucky residents after he checked his WESTERN MAX ticket and learned he won $100,000 on the EXTRA draw.

“I scanned the ticket at the store on my way to work,” he said while claiming his prize in St. Albert. “I told all my co-workers, and they were so excited for me.”

Although he waited to call his spouse until lunchtime, her reaction was of course elation.  Villafania said he had two plans for his $100,000 windfall.

“I’m going to pay some bills,” he said. “When everything’s paid off, I’ll put the remainder into savings and investments.”

Villafania was among a few other locals who had struck gold. In October, Airdrie resident Rene Drouin won $100,000 on his LOTTO MAX and EXTRA ticket.

“We were looking at the screen and my wife said, ‘Oh, that sounds good,’” he said. “It really did sound good!”

Drouin stated he and his wife have one major plan for their recent lottery win.

“We’re going to pay off our mortgage,” he said. “If there’s anything left after that, maybe we’ll go to McDonalds to get a hamburger.”

Also in September, two good Airdrie friends decided they would split their good luck.

According to Robert Chapman, his friend, Theresa Paillard, wasn’t expecting to hear that she would be splitting a quarter million dollars when he called her, but she was happy to hear it.

“I texted Theresa a picture of the self-checker screen with the win on it,” Chapman said. “Then I called her right away to tell her the news. All she could say was, ‘Wow! Oh wow! I think we were both a little shocked!”

But it wasn't just Airdrie residents who seemed to have lady luck on their side. In February, Crossfield resident Terry Hehr decided to save up all his lottery tickets and check them all at once. So, when he went to check those months-old lottery tickets on February 20, he had no idea that it would change his life.

Hehr found out that the November 24 DAILY GRAND draw that he bought and added the EXTRA to his ticket at the local My Place Esso at 920 Railway Street in Crossfield, had netted him $250,000.

2024 holds more possibilities of more fortune to be won and perhaps more Airdrie millionaires.

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