A Parksville man plans to take a year off work and hit the links in Scotland after scoring a $500K lottery win.
“I didn’t scream or yell. I went for a walk to let it sink in,” said James Hodgins, who matched all seven numbers to split a $1 million Maxmillion prize on the Nov. 30 Lotto Max draw.
A player in Ontario also matched all seven numbers, so Hodgins is splitting the million-dollar prize to take home a life-changing $500,000.
“This means I can double down on my retirement and maybe even take a year off from work,” said Hodgins. “I love to golf and this money means I can take a trip to St. Andrews, Scotland; the home of golf.”
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Hodgins purchased the winning ticket at the Shoppers Grocery Mart on Alberni Highway.
“I checked the Lotto! App on the Saturday after the draw,”said Hodgins. “I saw there was a winner in Parksville and thought ‘oh that’s nice.’ I waited until Monday to scan the ticket. When I found out the Parksville winner was me, it had an almost calming effect.”
Hodgins figures retirement is still a few years off, but knows the win will give him a lot more flexibility in his future. In keeping with his relaxed demeanor, there are just a few simple things on his list he wants to check off before jetting to Scotland.
“This is downtime work-wise. Right now a nice bottle of wine and a new memory-foam mattress are all I need.”
— NEWS Staff