The new year could not have gotten off to a better start for Patrick Kukko.
The 59-year-old Prince George resident is $1 million richer after matching all seven numbers on a Dec. 30 Lotto Max Maxmillions draw.
Kukko, who learned of the big win a bit more than a week ago still sounded breathless during a telephone interview from B.C. Lottery Corporation's head office in Kamloops.
"Amazingly fantastic, it's good, it's really good," he said.
Kukko, who is a helicopter engineer and is often on the road, bought the ticket at the Blue River Petro-Canada and were among a handful he took to the check machine when he stopped last Wedneday at the Chevron in Chetwynd.
The first two were non-winners and the next gave him a free play. Disbelief was his response when the next one showed he won to the tune of seven figures.
"I stood there and checked it three-ish more times in awe until I finally went 'wow, I think that...yeah, that is a million," Kukko said. "And then I kind of stood there a little more and then went to the counter and then the big machine goes off behind the counter with lots of bells and whistles.
"And then I went 'yeah, that is real,' and the clerk said 'yeah, that is.'"
Kukko will use the windfall to enter semi-retirement and get more time with the family. Married and with two children, he's also thinking about buying a new motorcycle and a new barbecue for himself and a couple of quadrunners for his kids.
Kukko won on a special edition of the draw that featured 28 prizes for $1 million each along with the main $50-million jackpot. To win $1 million, all seven numbers must match and the odds of that occurring are one in 28.6 million.
Just three of the Maxmillion prizes from the Dec. 30 draw have been claimed so far, according to the BCLC website.
Kukko is a "regular but not consistent" lottery ticket buyer.
"If I miss a ticket it doesn't bother me, or miss a draw date," Kukko said. "If I happen to be near a gas station and I remember I need one, I pick one up and that's it. Just one ticket for each draw and that's the end of it."
Kukko's win comes just three days after BCLC said another Prince George resident, Laura Bower, won $500,000 when all four of her numbers from the Dec. 24 Lotto 6/49 Extra matched. The odds of that occurring at one in 3.8 million.
