THUNDER BAY — Kim Saunders got through an entire round of golf before telling her partner she had won the jackpot in the Heart & Stroke Foundation's 50/50 lottery.
The Thunder Bay woman received the news in a phone call while she was at home preparing to meet her girlfriends at the golf course.
"It was so surreal. When I got off the phone, my heart rate was up. I had to sit down and pinch myself to tell myself this actually happened," Saunders said.
That phone call came last June, but details of Kim's story only came out this week when the Heart & Stroke Foundation posted a video on YouTube.
Recalling what happened on that unforgettable day, Saunders said she decided to stick with the plan to meet up with her friends.
At the golf course parking lot, she said, "I started crying, and they thought it was bad news."
When Saunders explained that she had just won almost $910,000, "We were screaming and hugging each other, and the other golfers had no idea what was happening."
She somehow managed to finish the golf game without breaking the news to Allan, her partner of 30 years, until she saw him at home.
"We were getting ready for retirement and planning to marry, but winning sped it up a little," she said.
The couple recently wed in their backyard, and are looking forward to Allan's earlier retirement.
Saunders supports the Heart & Stroke Foundation because she believes research is critical for advancements in heart and stroke diagnosis.
"My dad passed at age 50 due to a heart-related issue, and a co-worker had a heart attack in our building at only 48. It's an amazing lottery, and you have a good opportunity to win something great as well," she said.
