Sandy Stirzaker, of Golden Lake, is the Week 6 winner in the Catch the Ace lottery.
Stirzaker, who lost her husband Michael in April, after more than 40 years of marriage, said the win carries special meaning.
“We used to joke that we never won anything,” she said in a release from the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation. “But since Michael passed, I won a gift basket in a raffle, and now this. It feels like maybe he has something to do with it.”
She purchased her ticket at the Cottage Cup in Golden Lake and selected envelope number three — her husband’s birth month.
Inside was the Three of Diamonds, earning her the weekly prize of $876.
In honour of the care her husband received at St. Francis Memorial Hospital and later at Valley Manor, Stirzaker donated a portion of her winnings back to the foundation. She plans to use the rest on a home improvement project.
The foundation described her win as “an emotional one,” noting her generosity and connection to the local healthcare system.
Next week’s estimated prize is $900, with the progressive jackpot at $7,038. If the Ace of Spades is drawn, the total prize would be approximately $9,077.
