Whitby retiree scores $250,000 Instant Crossword lotto win

A retired assembly manager from Whitby is laughing all the way to the bank after buying a lotto ticket because he had a “funny feeling about it” and winning the quarter-million dollar top prize.

Gerrie Roerdink, 78, enjoys playing Crossword and Bingo but this win on INSTANT CROSSWORD DELUXE was his first big win.

Roerdink said it was the cashier at the store who encouraged him to buy the ticket. “I jokingly told her, ‘If I don’t win, you’re in trouble!’ I got this ticket because I had a funny feeling about it,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his windfall.

Later that day, Gerrie’s daughter checked his ticket on the OLG App and discovered he won. “We were shocked!” he said.

He then returned to the store to validate his ticket. “The machine shut down and the cashier was very excited. I shared the news with my close friends and family, and they were all so happy for me.”

With his winnings, Roerdink plans to manage his finances, get his car fixed, and travel to Holland to visit relatives. When asked how it felt to win the lottery, he gave a big thumbs up.

INSTANT CROSSWORD DELUXE is available for $10 a play and the top prize is $250,000. Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.46.

The winning ticket was purchased at Thickson Convenience on Thickson Road in Whitby.