A lucky Lower Mainland local is half a million dollars richer after buying a lottery ticket at a grocery store — and he only bought it because they were out of what he went shopping for.
Andrew Heidrich purchased a Mystery Multiplier Scratch & Win ticket at a FreshCo on South Fraser Way after he realized they were sold of the item he was looking for.
The Abbotsford resident checked it shortly after he bought it, but was in disbelief at first. However, his reaction shifted to excitement shortly after.
“I scratched it and thought, ‘ya right,” he recalled of his initial reaction. “I went and scanned the ticket myself and saw the amount on the little black box and thought, ‘Oh wow!’”
Heidrich's dad was the first person to hear about the big win. “My dad said, ‘Good for you!’”
Thanks to his prize, Heidrich is looking forward to living more comfortably and plans to upgrade his vehicle.
“I plan to just keep living life one day at a time but will worry a bit less about how much some things cost," he said.
One word Heidrich uses to describe how it feels to win half a million dollars: “Wow!”
In 2021, Scratch & Win players redeemed more than $214 million in prize-winning tickets.
Remember, play for fun, not to make money.
