2015 TOP STORIES: Lottery winners from the Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Millions of people play the lottery but only a handful of people win millions — and a half dozen of those who won this year live in the Southern Interior.

First up was Albert and Margaret Greening of Vernon, who won $5.8 million in the April Fool’s Day Lotto 6/49 draw. Their ticket was one of six for the $35 million draw. 

Six weeks later Tanya Williams of Enderby claimed her $1-million prize from a Lotto Max draw and then Caroline Longval of Coldstream claimed a $500,000 prize from the Lotto Max Extra. 

Not to be left out, Brittany Powell of Kelowna bought a Lotto Max ticket worth $1 million while filling up her Jeep in Cache Creek and two weeks later Irene Vestner of Penticton was announced the winner of a $1-million Lotto 6/49 guaranteed prize. Just a few days later Michelle Schulte of Kelowna claimed her $500,000 Lotto Max Extra prize. 

Things cooled off in the region for a couple months but heated up again in December when Tuong Van Mai of Kelowna claimed a $1-million Lotto 6/49 prize and Diana Cools and Neil Remsbery claimed their $500,000 Lotto Max Extra prize — the second time the lucky couple has won the lottery. And just this week Penticton couple Lindsay and Grzegroz Slobodzian won $1 million in the Lotto Max draw.

This month a Langley family finally claimed their $50-million prize from a 2014 Lotto Max draw after first trying to claim the prize through a trust account. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.