THUNDER BAY – Philip Duke of Thunder Bay said he had purchased tickets for the hospital 50/50 lottery at the beginning of the month and completely forgot about it.
Duke has an extra $1,660,795 in his pocket.
When he received a call from Hospital Foundation CEO Glenn Craig telling him he was the grand prize winner in the October Thunder Bay 50/50 draw, he only had a few words.
“No way. That’s crazy.”
Duke, who is currently an engineer in training, added, “I had the afternoon off and glad I did, because I don’t think I would have been able to work after receiving this news.”
This month’s winner now marks the 14th consecutive millionaire in the 50/50 lottery.
Philip says with the money he has won, he would like to pay off his student loans.
“I never really thought about buying a house, but now I can probably look into that,” he added.
He also mentioned that his brother has been bugging him about a trip to Japan, and might actually do that – it’s a little bit more feasible now.
With spooky season coming to an end and the holiday season coming up soon, the hospital foundation hopes Duke’s win will inspire others to participate in the draw.
The Thunder Bay 50/50 draw helps fund equipment and other investments in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
So far, over $48 million in prizes have been awarded across Ontario, mostly in and around the city. The November draw is now open.
