Fergus woman wins $40-million Lotto Max prize

'There’s so much good I can do with this windfall, and I want to give back in a meaningful way': Trafford

FERGUS – Elizabeth Trafford’s pleasant yet seemingly mundane weekend routine has, all of a sudden, changed her life.

“Every Saturday I take my dog for a walk, then drive to a little nearby store to fill up with gas, grab a newspaper, and check my lottery tickets,” the Fergus retiree explained.

An ordinary stop at Blinkhorn’s Corner Variety on St. David Street North (Highway 6) in Fergus quickly became extraordinary when she found out she’d won the $40-million Lotto Max jackpot in the Dec. 10 draw.

“When they told me exactly how much I’d won, I started to hyperventilate!” Trafford explained in a Jan. 23 press release from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

After receiving news of her windfall, she immediately called her son.

“It took a few minutes for him to understand this was not a joke,” she said.

Trafford herself took a few days to fully realize what had happened, and in the weeks since her big win, she has embraced a new outlook one might not expect from a multi-millionaire.

 

“I see myself as a steward of this money. There’s so much good I can do with this windfall, and I want to give back in a meaningful way,” she stated.

“In the coming months, I’ll work with the team I’ve gathered to identify and prioritize the causes and interests that are near and dear to me.”

She also plans to ensure that her son, who lives with his wife in another community, is looked after.

“You always want to give something wonderful to your child,” she stated.

“He will get a nice house, but I’m also comforted by the fact that he will inherit this legacy. It’s important to know that this will go on.”

Trafford said she will use some of the money to explore the world.

In fact, she’s already extended a previously planned trip to Africa by adding in a few more countries and a couple extra excursions.

She gets emotional when discussing the reactions of others to her win.

“It’s been an extraordinarily moving experience for me,” said Trafford.

“They said, ‘If anyone deserves this, it’s you’. This is quite something, and it’s very meaningful to me.”