COLIN PERKEL / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Bonnie Preece’s new “husband” wipes away her tears…….
TORONTO — A part-time supermarket cashier and occasional lottery-ticket buyer choked back tears Monday as she pondered how her bank balance had gone from under $100 to more than $20 million with the luck of the draw.
An overwhelmed Bonnie Preece, 49, of London, Ont., flanked by her husband, William Rollings, and parents and sisters, collected half of Saturday’s Lotto 6/49 jackpot.
“For me, I can’t grasp this kind of money,” she said struggling for words.
“My savings account was $80.17; I think it’s going to be a little bit more than that now.”
Preece was one of two winning ticket holders for Saturday’s $42.2-million draw. The other was sold in Edmonton but it was not immediately known who bought it.
Although she seldom played the lottery — she couldn’t spare the $2 ticket price — she decided to plunk down two toonies at the store across from the No Frills, where she’s been a cashier for the past five years, given the size of the jackpot.
Preece said she was forced to declare bankruptcy a few years ago after her first marriage ended. She couldn’t even get a credit card.
When asked if she had a message for her “ex-husband”, she said simply:
“Sucks to be you! “
