Coquitlam resident Ian Hirsch, who won $12.8 million on the June 18 6/49 draw, doesn’t plan on spending a fortune on a new house, although it’s possible.
“That could happen,” said Hirsch, who on Tuesday accepted the cheque in Vancouver with wife Dianne, “(but) most of it will be invested long-term.”
Hirsch said that after discovering he had the winning number, he didn’t just double-check his ticket, he triple-checked it to make sure he won the huge draw.
“We couldn’t believe our eyes so we walked over to the store to check it again. It was overwhelming and surreal. I was shaking a lot!”
Added Dianne: “I didn’t believe it and I can’t believe we’re actually here. I can’t believe we’re going to have a cheque put in the bank today. It’s amazing. I feel so grateful, so blessed.”
Hirsch, a 56-year-old employee with the Chevron refinery in Burnaby, thinks he’ll take early retirement. Dianne took early retirement recently, “so I’m just going to enjoy it.”
The couple’s five children “went crazy” after hearing the news.
“We Facetimed with our kids to share the news because we wanted to see their reactions,” said Hirsch. “And that was priceless.”
Hirsch said he also plans to put some of the money away for his grandchildren’s education.
Said Dianne: “We’ll upgrade our house, upgrade our cars, upgrade our seats on the airplane, upgrade our hotels, just enhance our life.”
The winning ticket was purchased at the Shoppers Drug Mart on David Avenue in Coquitlam.
Hirsch said he doesn’t have a special number-selecting formula, noting he buys two tickets a week — a routine that he’ll continue.
