The 100th Manitoban in lottery history to take home a $1 million-plus prize accepted her $6.8-million cheque today with a smile, a queenly wave ... and thanks to her tarot card reader.
Judy Mayer, a 56-year-old night manager at the Royal George in Transcona, bought her winning ticket based on numbers suggested by Katarina, a psychic reader she visited a year and a half ago.
But Mayer, a regular ticket-buyer, tweaked the advice given by the psychic for her most recent lottery purchase, changing one number from 45 to 46. And that turned out to be the deciding factor.
"I started screaming, of course ecstatically, 'I got all six of them!' " said Mayer, recalling the moment she found out she'd won.
Mayer’s partner Dave Chalmers, a retired 36-year veteran of the Winnipeg police force, said his response was more panic than excitement.
"What do you do with a hysterical woman?" laughed the 62-year-old.
The couple of 20-plus years say they'll be making repairs to their home and car, but have no exotic trips or big purchases planned just yet. Mayer said since learning she’d won on Thursday, she's been hit with a barrage of phone calls from friends and relatives.
"Oh, the phone never quits," laughed Mayer. "That's relatives, you know."
The oversized novelty cheque, made out for $6,815,813.00, will be hung on the wall at the Royal George. But Mayer won’t be there to see it - she's already taken a leave of absence.
"Nobody wants to tip me anymore," she joked.
lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca
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