After recently winning the $3 million lottery jackpot, Eileen Grant says she wants her prize to be used in a way that can help others.
The retiree from Scarborough, Ontario, has been playing the lottery for years and said her mother inspired her.
“My mom always played the lottery, and I suppose this rubbed off on me. Now, I enjoy playing too,” she explained in a press release.
After recently playing her ticket at the store, she noticed she matched three identical symbols.
“I thought, ‘‘Oh! This is a big winner!’ and smiled to myself.”
Grant added that she was always optimistic that she could win, and when she found out the news, she felt “calm, happy, and peaceful.”
The first people she told about her huge win were her children, who were overjoyed to hear of their mother’s windfall.
“They cried happy tears for me, saying I deserved this prize,” stated Grant.
Grant is still deciding how she’ll use the money and acknowledged that such a big win comes with “a lot of responsibility.”
“I want to settle into this win for a bit before I make any big decisions,” she noted. ” I want to make sure to get it right and make it last.”
She noted that she wants to “share the joy” of her win by helping those less fortunate in her community.
Grant’s winning ticket was purchased at The Ticket Shop on Overlea Boulevard in Toronto.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.