NEWS RELEASE
OLG
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Camellia Kazemi Talachi of Richmond Hill is still mapping out exactly what she will do now that she is Ontario’s newest multi-millionaire after winning the $60 million Lotto Max jackpot from the Nov. 29, 2022 draw. But she knows that she wants to use part of her windfall to create employment.
Camellia, who works in sales, was overwhelmed with emotions as she collected her $60-million Lotto Max cheque from the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. Camellia has been a regular lottery player for the last four years and while normally choosing her own numbers, she switched to QuickPicks a few months ago, which ultimately won her the $60 million jackpot.
Despite being a regular lottery player, she failed to realize the jackpot winning ticket was sold in her community. “I stopped at a gas station and decided to check my Lotto Max ticket, unaware the $60-million winning ticket was sold in Richmond Hill. I gave my ticket to the clerk, and when the winning jingle started playing, I knew I won something but didn’t know how much until OLG called the store and told me it was $60 million!”
While Camellia was trying to process what just happened, her mother was outside waiting in the car. Inside the store, Camellia was crying happy tears. “I saw my life pass before my eyes as I stood there in shock. I kept thinking, ‘Is this real?’ I couldn’t concentrate and started to shake. The clerk, who was very excited for me, helped calm me down so I could go back to my car without worrying my mom that something was wrong.”
Camellia then drove 30 minutes with her mother without saying a word about the incredible news. When they arrived at home, she mentally prepared to tell her family, “I stopped to pray for a moment and then, what felt like an out of body experience, I said the words, ‘I am the big lottery winner in Richmond Hill!’ My sister thought I was kidding. But when I started jumping up and down and cheering, she started to do the same. The entire family was overjoyed for me!”
As Camellia navigates what to do with the money, she has many ideas, and they involve sharing her good fortune. She wants to use this windfall to create employment. “I want to be an entrepreneur and create jobs, but I need to take the time to figure out how to do this sustainably.”
She is also an art lover and wants to see the historic masterpieces of the world, so she plans to do a lot of travelling with her family. “A win this big needs to be shared and who better to share it with than the people I love the most.”
Even with the $60-million cheque in hand, Camellia is still pinching herself, “This seems so surreal. It’s a blend of happiness filled with wonderful possibilities of the unknown!”
The winning ticket was purchased at the Bayview Kitchen Food Fair on Bayview Avenue in Richmond Hill.
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