Winner wants to dedicate winnings in a special way

By Kate Northrop

It was a "bittersweet" moment when one Canadian lottery player found out he won a $70 million (US$51.6 million) Lotto Max jackpot, which he is using to honor his late wife.

Brian Hoover was experiencing a wide range of emotions when he won a $70 million Lotto Max jackpot. While many players see the lottery as a fun hobby, a weekly routine, or a quick form of entertainment, for Hoover, playing the lottery was more than that.

The Hoovers had dreamed about the possibilities winning the lottery could bring, a topic that the pair had imagined for a long time.

His wife had passed away before they could make that dream a reality together. Winning the lottery does bring about exciting opportunities, and Hoover said he now has a way of commemorating his wife's memory and legacy.

"This is bittersweet for me," Hoover told the Western Canada Lottery. "We always talked about what we would do if we won the lottery. I'm determined to bring some of those ideas to life in her memory."

He is not fully committed to any idea just yet, but his hope is that he will be able to honor his wife while doing good for his community.

"We had three children, and my wife was heavily invested in their lives," the Beaverlodge resident said. "She liked to take them to parks, any park. My first thought is to have a park named for her."

He is also considering ideas that will benefit local schools and education, such as sponsoring programs.

"These are all such fresh thoughts," the winner continued. "I want to make sure I do good things. Using this money and investing in her memory is a way to share this win with her."

The size of the prize leaves plenty of room for Hoover to figure out how he'd like to help others around him, including his children and family.

"I want to help my family — I'm going to pay off a couple of mortgages and give some money to a few people," he explained. "After that, I'm going to look at something for myself."

Hoover's ticket held all seven winning numbers from the Jan. 16 Lotto Max draw, which were 2, 9, 10, 14, 42, 43, and 44. He purchased his ticket at Ace Hardware on 10 Street in Beaverlodge.

"I have a friend who lives in the Yukon who's been asking me to visit. I'm thinking it would be nice to drive up in a classy motorhome," he laughed.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Brian Hoover experienced a wide range of emotions when he won a $70 million Lotto Max jackpot, deciding to honor his late wife's memory with the proceeds.