The new owner of this year’s Rotary House Lottery was thrilled to hear the news about her win Monday afternoon.
The Fort William Rotary Club drew Shirley MacDonnell’s ticket in their 34th lottery.
The draw was broadcast live online. MacDonnell says she was driving at the time, and friends started flooding her with texts and phone calls to tell her the news.
She bought the ticket with her friend of over 40 years Paulette Husfeldt.
“Our kids have grown up together, so she’s like my sister of the heart,” MacDonnell says.
MacDonnell calls the home “life-changing” for both of them. Both are retired nurses, and have bought draw tickets together for 20 years.
“It was surreal, really, honest to God. We’ve never won anything other than, you know, minor little things here and there,” Husfeldt admits.
It’s too soon to say whether they will keep the home or sell it, but the friends say the win will make retired life easier no matter what they decide.
When it came to organizing this year’s lottery, organizers had to think fast when the pandemic hit Ontario in March.
They were only able to hold a few open houses to show off the home before the pandemic, and had to apply to extend ticket sales to October.
Dave Knutsen is the head of the club’s Lottery House Committee, and says there were some struggles with converting to online ticket sales, but they were able to sell all 14,000 tickets. Around 9,000 of those were sold online.
He estimates they’ll be able to donate at least $400,000 to local charities.
