Seven of the group of eight healthcare workers are shown after winning the World Juniors 50/50 jackpot. (Twitter/@HC_WJC)

By Angela Brown

Big winners

Lloydminster healthcare workers say winning 50/50 jackpot was ‘surreal’

Dec 31, 2020 | 5:24 PM

A big delivery at the end of 2020 was a special surprise for a group of healthcare workers in the maternity ward at Lloydminster Hospital.

A group of eight healthcare professionals — seven nurses and a maternity ward clerk — together won $241,850 in the Hockey Canada World Juniors 50/50 online jackpot.

The lucky ticket was purchased by nurse Shari Mack on behalf of the group which will split the winnings.

“I still don’t think it’s real, it was pretty surreal actually,” nurse Alicia Roach told battlefordsNOW.

The group of eight women are all dedicated supporters of the Alberta hockey community.

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Roach said the group came together a couple of days before the World Juniors and agreed to buy some tickets. The winning ticket was purchased Dec. 27.

“Everybody said they were in,” she said.

Nurse Andrea MacKinnon said she and Mack checked the numbers the next day and realized the group had the winning ticket.

“It was a very exciting day for us on the 28th,” she said. “We were all really pumped up. It was just an awesome day.”

MacKinnon said she plans to use some of her share to help her daughter who plans to attend university next year.

“Most of my money will be going towards that, and to pay off some debts. This couldn’t come at a better time for a single parent,” she said. “So it’s an awesome little windfall for me for sure.”

Roach said she might use her share to make some renovations to her family’s home.

MacKinnon mentioned the group would have hoped to take a vacation with their families with some of the winnings but that is not possible due to travel restrictions.

“We definitely would all love to go on a trip but nobody can because of COVID,” she said. “But it is what it is right now. So we’ll do what we can on the home-front.”

Roach and MacKinnon said it has been a hard year for everyone with the pandemic, including front-line healthcare workers and their patients dealing with COVID-19 complications.

They hope winning the lottery may be a good sign of more positivity around the corner.

“We are hoping for better things next year,” MacKinnon said. “It has just been an awful year. So this has been an awesome little windfall. I think it is going to be a better year for all. We are all going to get through this together. We are wishing everyone heath and happiness.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW