‘One heck of a birthday surprise’: Lacombe man plans to use $15M Lotto Max jackpot to help friends, community

Don Matheson only recently started buying Lotto Max tickets.

“I just started buying tickets in the last month,” the Lacombe man said. “You can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket.”

His logic turned out to be right, because he won the $15 million Lotto Max jackpot on June 5, Western Canada Lottery Corporation said in a Friday news release.

“I didn’t realize it was $15 million until they told me,” Matheson said. “Everybody in the store was excited.”

“I bought the ticket just before my birthday, so this made for one heck of a birthday surprise.”

A standout feature of the Lacombe winner (as evidenced in his winner photo) is his vibrant pink beard — something he said isn’t going anywhere.

“I was working at a school when I learned about Pink Shirt Day,” he said. “I promised some kids I would do my part to help stamp out bullying, so this is my ‘pink shirt’ every day.”

“I said I’d take it off when bullying stops,” he added. “It definitely stands out and gets people talking.”

Matheson said overall, he is most looking forward to using the win to dedicate more time and support to the causes he cares most deeply about.

Matheson purchased his winning ticket from Circle K at 101-5001 52 Ave. in Lacombe. He won the  jackpot by matching all seven numbers: 11, 16, 27, 34, 40, 47, and 49.

Matheson said his first instinct is to spend some of the money to help others in his community and his loved ones. He’s looking forward to dedicating more time and support to the causes he cares about.

“I won’t change, but I’ll make sure my family members’ mortgages are paid,” he said.

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