Seven co-workers divide $21-million jackpot win

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO LOTTERY AND GAMING CORPORATION

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'Can't work today - We won Lotto 6/49!'

Group of seven Durham region co-workers win $21-million jackpot

TORONTO (May 15, 2012) - Many Durham region residents had to go without their bacon and eggs yesterday morning as an Eggsmart breakfast restaurant was closed due to very special circumstances. 

Instead of flipping pancakes and taking customer orders, seven of the restaurant workers were at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim their prize of $21,405,060, after winning the Lotto 6/49 jackpot this past Saturday, May 12.

Group leader Susan Pennington of Whitby has diligently been collecting the lottery pool money and buying lottery tickets for the past year in hopes they would win a big jackpot.

Before heading into work on Mother's Day, which was also her 52nd birthday, Susan wrote down the winning numbers on a piece of paper and took them to work.

"As soon as we realized we won, my coworker and I called everyone first thing in the morning, and I texted my boss saying, 'Can't work today because we won Lotto 6/49!" she laughed.

"I thought Susan was joking when I got her text!" smiled Nick Zarafonitis of Scarborough, restaurant owner and manager. "We're all really happy!"

Later, they all went to the store together as a group, and they each took turns scanning the ticket on the self-checker to validate this exciting win.

"This is life changing!" said one group member

When asked how they will spend their windfall they all collectively said they plan to pay off financial debts, purchase something nice for themselves, and share their winnings with their families.

Each winner's share of the jackpot is approximately $3,057,865.

The group members range in age from 24 to 52.

The winning ticket was purchased at Kitchen Food Fair on Victoria Street in Whitby.

The group members are as follows: Susan Pennington, Whitby; Nick Zarafonitis, Scarborough; Rajanan Selvarajah, Whitby;
Aaron Wood, Newmarket; Michael Stewart, Bowmanville; Ramesh Thuraisingham, Whitby; Richelle Jukes, Courtice.

This is the second recent jackpot win in the Durham region within six months.

Just this past fall, an Oshawa couple won a $50 million Lotto Max jackpot.

Interestingly, the couple were both short-order cooks at a local 24 hour diner.

Since Lotto  6/49 was launched in June 1982, Ontario players have won more than $9.7 billion in prizes, including 1,228 jackpot wins.

As of March 31, 2012, there have been 2,942 LOTTO 6/49 draws.

For more information, please visit your local retailer or check online on Lotteries.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities.

Since 1975, OLG lotteries, Casinos, Slots, and Resort Casinos have generated more than $34 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario.

Gaming proceeds support Ontario's hospitals, amateur sport, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education, and local and provincial charities and non-profit organizations through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Know your limit, play within it!

The Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline number is 1-888-230-3505.

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