NL

Lotto Max winners Donna and Ed Ruth $1M richer

New millionaires Ed and Donna Ruth had a group of people in stitches at a small convenience store on the west coast of Newfoundland, as they accepted their $1-million lottery winnings.

Ed and Donna Ruth talk about their lottery win

10 years ago
Duration 1:48
The couple from Summerside picked up a cheque for $1 million at a presentation at Brent's Convenience Friday afternoon.

New millionaires Ed and Donna Ruth had a group of people in stitches at a small convenience store on the west coast of Newfoundland, as they accepted their $1-million lottery winnings.

"I popped into the store to get a six pack — like I would," Ed Ruth said. "Home all alone, [I] come down to get me six pack, get me ticket scanned … major winner! And I said I got more than twenty bucks."
Donna and Ed Ruth were presented with a $1-million Lotto Max cheque at Brent's Convenience in Summerside Friday afternoon. (Colleen Connors/CBC)

He picked up the winning Lotto Max ticket at Brent's Convenience in their hometown of Summerside last Tuesday.

The couple had everyone in convenience store laughing, as Donna Ruth reenacted the phone call she received from her husband.

"'Donna, you come home! You come home right now,'" Donna Ruth said her husband told her over the phone when he got the news. "And I said that's not Ed, right? I definitely thought there was something wrong with the kids. I started to cry."

I definitely thought there was something wrong with the kids. I started to cry.- Donna Ruth 

"I said, 'Ed what's wrong?' [He said] I won a million dollars!"

The couple, who have been married for 36 years, made the quick decision to retire; Ed Ruth worked at a home building supply store and, while his wife was a home care worker.

That means no more alarm clocks for the two.

"I'm gonna beat the sucker up, which I wanted to do for years," Donna Ruth laughed.

The couple plans to use the money for travel, to see a few hockey games, and treat their family. 

But first — "I'm going to get my six pack and ticket before I goes home," Ed Ruth said.

On Saturday, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation announced that someone in Newfoundland and Labrador had won the million-dollar Jan.16 draw.

One $1-million prize was split between two winners from British Columbia and Ontario. The Ed Ruth's ticket won the second million dollar prize — one the couple got to keep all to themselves.

The convenience store will receive a one per cent sellers prize for selling the winning ticket.