Elaine McInnes knew she was going to win the Vespa scooter during the Thanks a Million contest finale presented by the Prince George Citizen and Wood Wheaton Supercentre.
She told her co-workers as she left work Wednesday, she told her husband, she told her children. Her son Ryan was so convinced she was going to win, he and wife Lara came to the event to celebrate with her.
"I was so stoked," said McInnes. "I told everyone I was going for the Vespa because I didn't think I was going to win the million."
The Prince George Citizen and Wood Wheaton partnered to offer the chance to win $1 million during the Thanks a Million contest. To win the million people found the Thanks a Million promotion in the Citizen newspaper, cut out the special sign and displayed it in their vehicles, home window or anywhere visible.
Part of the contest also included the chance to win the scooter. McInnes, a grandmother of five, stood beside the Vespa throughout the grand prize draw evening, knowing it was hers.
When the door prize ticket No. 9 was called out, McInnes started to celebrate her victory as her husband Ian and son Ryan were chatting.
"When I started jumping up and down Ian asked me what I had won," McInnes laughed. "I won the bike!"
Now the children are asking her what on Earth she is going to do with a scooter.
"'Mom,' they told me, 'you're nervous as a driver of a car,'" McInnes said. "I don't even know how to ride a scooter and now I'm a little nervous. Why did I pick that? It was so funny and oh my word now I need to learn how to ride this thing. My neighbours are teasing me, telling me not to do wheelies round the neighbourhood."
Citizen Spotters chose lucky winners offering them an instant prize of a $25 gift certificate and a special invitation to the gala evening where people picked a four digit number to try to unlock the safe containing the million. There was also $13,000 worth of weekly prizes available, along with a grass trimmer and a chain saw.
Unfortunately no one chose the correct four-digit combination -- 8221 -- to win the million but McInnes didn't seem to care she didn't win it.
"I was more blown away when the lady knocked on my door to tell me she spotted me," said McInnes of the Thanks a Million sign put up on her living room window that started the whole process.
McInnes, who has never won anything like this before, said she's picking the scooter up today and will see how it goes from there.
