Sask. lotto winner shares heartwarming reason why he didn't celebrate right away

Stan Ismond felt there were other priorities in place before he could fully take in the $100,000 win.

Leticia Gaba
·Writer, Yahoo News Canada
·2 min read
Stan Ismond, a $100,000 lotto winner.
This marks “one of the greatest feelings ever” for the Abernethy native. (Courtesy: WCLC)

A Saskatchewan man was thrilled to find out he had won the lottery one morning, but decided to keep the win a secret and go back to bed to not wake up his sleeping wife.

Abernethy resident Stan Ismond woke up on April 1 with a big surprise. He checked his ticket using the Lotto Spot app, and immediately discovered that he had won $100,000 in the March 31 Lotto Max draw. Ismond then took an unconventional route as he continued with his daily routine and went back to bed.

“Internally, I was saying ‘Woo Hoo’,” said Ismond, as he claimed his prize.

“I didn’t want to wake up my wife.”

Once she woke up, Ismond took the opportunity to use the win as an April Fool’s joke, knowing it was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Ismond purchased his lucky ticket from Balcarres Liquor Store at 126 Main St. in Balcarres, Sask., on the day of the draw. He chose to add "Extra" to his Lotto Max ticket for an additional $1, which ultimately led to his win.

Adding "Extra" to your ticket gives you the chance to win the $250,000 top prize or $100,000 prize. In Ismond’s case, he was lucky to match the last six digits of the winning Extra number, 5346797.

The winner said he plans to invest his winnings for a better life. The feeling of being a winner is incredible for Ismond, who is ecstatic and ready to celebrate.

“It feels amazing,” he added. “One of the greatest feelings ever!”

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