The Sunday before Christmas brought much joy to Walter Waselovich. He had just left church and was going to a local St. Catharines variety store to check his Lotto Super 7 ticket. When he first checked he thought he had won $30,000 and of course he was very excited. He then put the ticket in the machine to verify the numbers and when it read them, Walter froze in amazement. He had won an astonishing $30 million and he was so happy he did the “happy dance” from a current running lottery commercial.
"I won't dance for you," he joked to the media as he received his winnings yesterday at Toronto's Delta Chelsea Hotel. "But I'll tell jokes." "It's great to be alive," he said. And his life will continue along familiar lines. "I go to mass every Sunday. My parents brought me up that way ... I never pray for money. I pray for health, for my friends and for my friends who have passed away."
Walter is a retired school teacher and devoute church attendee. Despite his win he was ready to return home. He said he found the streets of Toronto to be confusing. His first purchase, though small was a calendar of his favorite hockey team, the Montreal Canadians. He said he wasn’t sure what else he would spend the money on. He said he would take a vacation with his girlfriend and also help his mother and sister out. He said they were in bigger show than he was. He also said he may buy a new house and a few surprises for his pet dog, cats and rabbit.
Walter has plans to meet with a financial adviser, lawyer and accountant to help him plan what to do with his winnings. He has been playing the lottery since 1975 and sometimes cashes in. his largest win before the $30 million was $140. He says he will continue playing and will stay the same living a life with his family.




- 2008-01-04