Mill Bay retirees Kenneth and Michele Babich plan to take a cruise and to give back to causes they are passionate about after winning the top prize of $1 million from a Scratch & Win ticket this month.
The winning ticket was purchased at Thrifty Foods on Mill Bay Road in Mill Bay.
“We were at home, and I scratched the ticket,” Michele explained. “Then I showed Ken after checking [on the BCLC Lotto! App]. He thought it was $50 seeing the ‘50x.’”
“Then I realized it was $1 million!” Kenneth said.
The couple held off on telling their children until they'd claimed the prize.
They had already booked their cruise before the win but now see it as not just a holiday but a celebratory trip.
Michele said the funds will help their quality of life, and help their community as well.
“It’s going to help us give back more to the causes we are passionate about,” she said.
Kenneth agreed.
“One reason we like to play and what we appreciate about the lottery, is all the different ways that the community benefits from the money generated from lotteries,” he said.
To date this year, Scratch & Win players in B.C. have redeemed more than $109 million in prize-winning tickets.
