THUNDER BAY — Two longtime friends both had a big reason to celebrate after their numbers came up in the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw.
Daniel Kukko and Werner Maute of Thunder Bay are sharing a $1 million prize from the Sept. 4th draw.
"I scanned our ticket on the OLG app and saw a bunch of zeros and commas," Kukko recalled during a visit to the OLG prize centre in Toronto to claim their winnings. "I checked it again and showed my family to make sure what I was seeing was real."
Since his friend was holidaying in Germany at the time, he let him know by sending him a screenshot.
"I was wowed. It was unbelievable for a few seconds, then I was overcome with joy," Maute said.
The former coworkers have been friends for 30 years, and play the lottery together to stay in touch.
Kukko says he'll now be able to retire and do some travelling, while Maute will share his winnings with his child, do some work around the house, and enjoy a vacation.
