Rhonda Malesku’s dreams of designing her dream home came true after discovering she scored a life-changing $35 million Lotto Max Jackpot from the July 25, 2023 draw, but what she most looks forward to is doing the same for her son and daughter.
“I’ve always dreamed of being able to design my dream home and also set my family up so now I can do both,” said Malesku.
Malesku, born and raised in Kamloops, purchased the ticket at Walmart on Hillside Drive while shopping for beach towels and didn’t anticipate that she would match all seven numbers along with a ticket purchased in Alberta to split the $70-million jackpot for $35 million each.
Malesku was at home when she discovered her massive windfall the morning after the draw. Upon checking the winning numbers online, her reaction caused quite a shock for her husband, who was in the backyard doing yard work at the time.
“I let out a huge scream and kept saying, ‘I won $35 million dollars!” I opened up the back door and started screaming it outside to my husband Sam and we both started shaking!” I was shouting so loud with excitement that the neighbors came out of their houses because they thought something was wrong.”
Malesku then called her daughter, who was getting ready for work at the time.
“I called my daughter and started screaming it all over again to her. She immediately dropped everything and came over. We couldn’t even get ready this morning because we were vibrating with excitement and had to help each other put on our makeup.”
Malesku, who considers family the most important thing in life, can’t wait to build her son and daughter their dream homes in addition to her own, and will gift some to other family members as well. She also plans to purchase a travel trailer and a truck to tow it with and looks forward to travelling to the East Coast with her loved ones.
“I’m just absolutely blown away,” she added.
So far in 2023, B.C. lottery players redeemed more than $141 million in winnings from Lotto Max. The largest lottery prize ever won in B.C. was a $70 million Lotto Max jackpot, won in September 2021.
Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PT). Players can purchase tickets at any lottery retailer or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can now check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. Learn more about the BCLC Lotto! App here.
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Remember, play for fun, not to make money. For more information, visit GameSense.com.
