A Toronto woman jumped and grinned from ear to ear as she did the happy dance, accepting a lotto prize of $40 million.
“Thank you Lord, thank you Lord!” she yelled, blowing kisses to the sky as she jumped from side to side, clutching an oversized presentation cheque.
Maria Carreiro was presented with the $40-million cheque Monday afternoon at the OLG Prize Centre.
She won by playing the Lotto Max jackpot draw on Friday, April 5.
Talking to reporters, Toronto’s newest millionaire explained her initial reaction to the win.
“You really want to know?” she asked, before imitating shaking hands. “Like this, shaky. And I said ‘Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God.’”
Carreiro then did the happy dance again as she recalled the best part of the story.
Carreiro said at first, she believed she won $40,000, as the store clerk did not scan the winning ticket. When she returned home, her daughter checked the Internet and told her mother she had actually won $40 million.
“I said, ‘No way, no way,’ and then ran down the street like a crazy woman to the store and it said $40-million and I said, ‘Oh my God,’ and I ran back down the street like a crazy woman and then I needed a glass of water.”
She said when she called her husband of 30 years to tell him, he said “Ya, ok,” and then hung up on her.
The lucky winner says she has special plans for the money.
“I’m going to Hawaii!” she said, jumping up and down with her hands in the air.
She said she also plans to buy a house for herself as well as her daughter.
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