A couple from Carlyle has won the top prize in the Hospitals of Regina Foundation’s spring home lottery.
Murray and Donna Brown won the $1.4 million grand prize show home and $30,000 cash. The announcement was made Friday afternoon.
The home is a 4,200-square foot bungalow in the Creeks neighbourhood.
Murray Brown, who purchased the winning ticket, said he was in disbelief when he found out they had won.
“I was out fencing, and the guy phoned me and asked me who I was, and if I bought foundation tickets, and then he wanted my postal code,” Murray Brown said in an interview with Lifestyles.
When Brown asked why, the caller said he needed to verify Brown’s name. At that point, he confirmed Brown had won the grand prize in the lottery.
“I didn’t believe him. Then he gave me the director, and I still didn’t believe him, either. I was expecting him to ask me for a credit card number or something, because sometimes some of those things, they want you to pay money to collect your prize.”
Then his phone started going crazy with congratulatory text messages. At that point, Brown knew he was a winner.
Even that night, when he watched footage of the announcement, he was still in a state of shock.
The Browns have been to the home, but there were several reporters and cameras in there at the same time, so they didn’t get a good look at it. But they were impressed with what they saw.
“It’s a very nice home,” he said.
He expects they will sell the house, but they might use it a few weekends when in Regina.
“It’s all furnished and everything, so we thought we might as well enjoy it when we can, until it sells,” said Brown.
He expects they will take the money and invest it, as it will be nice to have a nest egg in case something happens.
Brown said he has been purchasing hospital foundation tickets for years.
“I’ve had family and friends that have used the hospitals, and all of my grandchildren have been born in Regina. We pretty well need the (Regina) hospitals now.”
People can’t win if they don’t buy a ticket, so if it’s something they want to support, then he urges people to purchase tickets.
“We’ve never won anything even small. We’ve bought Rider (fundraiser tickets) and these foundation tickets and STARS (Air Ambulance) tickets.”
And he expects they will continue to purchase tickets for these lotteries, because lightning can strike twice.
