A family tradition turned into an extraordinary windfall for Meghan Petaske when she discovered a $7 million Daily Grand lottery ticket, a delayed Christmas gift from her mother, months after the holiday festivities.
Meghan, along with her partner Cody Rudiger, chose to let the ticket sit untouched for several months before checking it in March 2024. Their patience paid off when they found out they were holding onto a ticket worth $7 million, making them Calgary’s latest millionaires.
“Every Christmas, my mom creates gift baskets for us kids, each containing lottery tickets among other items,” Meghan explained during her prize claim in St. Albert, Alberta. “With five of us siblings, this ticket could have gone to anyone!”
The couple was initially overwhelmed upon learning the size of their prize. “We had to get a printout to correctly place the commas—we just couldn’t wrap our heads around it,” Meghan recounted.
The win comes at a perfect time for Meghan and Cody, who are just starting to lay down their roots. The $7 million prize is paving the way for life-changing decisions, including paying off student loans and purchasing their dream home.
“It’s really emotional,” Meghan said. “I never imagined owning a house could be a reality for us, and now it is!”
Echoing her sentiment, Cody stressed their intent to manage their newfound wealth wisely. “We’re focused on being financially responsible,” he remarked. “We don’t want to look back in ten years and find it all gone.”
The couple is planning not only to secure their financial future but also to enjoy some of the perks of their windfall. They look forward to traveling to dream destinations like Greece and Spain and sharing their good fortune with family and contributing back to their community.
The winning ticket was part of a $20 Triple Pack purchased at The Shoppers Drug Mart in Okotoks, which included entries for three popular lottery games. Daily Grand, the game from which their winning ticket was drawn, offers a top prize of $1,000 a day for life or a $7 million lump sum, which Meghan and Cody opted for.