YEAR IN REVIEW: Lottery winners across the Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It was an incredibly lucky year for some some residents of Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton.

Four people in Kamloops won lottery prizes of more than six figures, the largest being $21.9 million.

A local couple who just started playing the lotto won $500,000, a Kamloops woman won Set for Life on her birthday and Robert Goertzen, 44, won $21.9 million Feb. 21.

“My lottery ticket package was $21 and I discovered I won $21.9 million on Feb. 21,” he said. "There's three number 21s and my lucky number through life is three."

Brocklehurst resident John Thorpe, 48, was the grand prize winner in the Kamloops YMCA-YWCA Dream Home Lottery and Dave Maw won the PNE 82nd Annual Prize Home lottery.

Kelowna has a few new millionaires as well.

June Bergh, a Kelowna grandmother, was hoping to win the $1 million Maxmillion prize but instead won the $50 million Lotto Max jackpot.

Bergh says she plans to share her winnings with her children and grandchildren and is planning to take a cruise with her husband of 54 years.

Stuart Smithson, also of Kelowna, won $500,000 playing the Extra in July and plans to use the money to “focus on philanthropic work” and take his wife to Ireland.

A Vernon couple won part of the $35 million Lotto 6/49 grand prize in April and took home close to $6 million.

Albert and Margaret Greening have been playing the lottery for 20 years but other than buying a new house, taking a trip to visit family and sharing their new fortune with their kids, they’re not sure what they will do with the money.

“This is going to completely change our lives,” Albert said. “It’s hard living on a pension so this will allow us to relax, not worry about keeping a budget and potentially buy a home in Vernon.”

Someone in Penticton bought a winning Lotto ticket but his name was not released. He matched exactly the ten digit sequence, winning $1 million.

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