What started as a weekly tradition of buying Lotto Max tickets turned into a life-changing moment for two Alberta friends. Rodney McFadyen of Provost and Derek Marsh of Edmonton are now $12.5 million richer after their winning ticket was drawn.
McFadyen purchased the ticket at Fas Gas near 40 Street and 57 Avenue in Provost. Days later, he learned that there were two winners from the previous night's draw—one in Alberta and one in Quebec. Initially, he didn't think much of it, but when he scanned the tickets, he was stunned.
"I started scanning the tickets, saw $12,500,000 and just froze," McFadyen said. "I couldn't believe it."
McFadyen immediately called Marsh, but Marsh was skeptical at first. "He's messed with me about this before," Marsh recalled. "I looked up the numbers and lost it. My smartwatch calculated 7 km over the next few hours from all my pacing."
Despite the excitement, both men are taking a responsible approach to their newfound wealth. "The money is going in the bank for both of us for now," McFadyen said. They plan to take time to carefully consider their next steps before making any big decisions.
In lighter moments, they joked about a getaway. "We joked about going to Aruba and leaving our wives with a pile of Scratch & Win tickets to keep them busy until we got home," Marsh said.
The win has brought joy and a sense of security to the longtime friends, who intend to manage their windfall wisely.
