They say it’s hard to keep a big secret in a small town. But Mary Wernicke has been doing her best to keep a huge one. The Neville, Saskatchewan resident won $60 million on the August 12 LOTTO MAXdraw! Wernicke sets a new record as the winner of the biggest lottery prize ever won in the province. She officially received her prize today at a cheque presentation in Regina. Wernicke is the community’s first-ever lottery millionaire.

She bought her $5 quick pick ticket from Pharmasave, located at 390 Central Avenue N in Swift Current. She didn’t have a lot of cash with her at the moment, but she knew she didn’t need a lot to have a chance. “I only had a $5 bill in my purse,” she said. “I thought to myself, ‘If I’m meant to win, that’s all it’s going to take.’” After the draw, lottery players around the province were buzzing about the $60 million winner somewhere in their midst, but Wernicke didn’t discover the win for a few more days. She said that on Wednesday, August 17, she woke up with a “feeling” that she ought to check her ticket. “I felt different all morning,” she said. “They say if you have an itchy hand, it means money is coming your way. Well, both my hands were itchy,” she laughed.

She took her ticket back to Pharmasave and asked the store clerk to check it for her. “The lottery terminal made a different sound than I’m used to hearing,” she said. “She looked at the ticket, then looked at me and said, ‘You’re the big winner!’ I was shocked!”

The winner said she knows it’s going to take some time for the reality of the win to sink in. She’s determined to take her time and not rush into any decisions. “I have a lot of different things on my mind, so I’m going to sleep on it for a while,” she said. The one thing Wernicke knows for sure is that she’ll be able to share with those most important to her. With an immediate family that numbers more than 30 – just including her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – Wernicke is thrilled to know the impact her $60 million win will have. “It means everything to be able to help my family,” she said. “I’ve dreamed and prayed about that for a long time.”

Wernicke is the second lottery winner in 2016 to win a jackpot on a ticket purchased in Swift Current. A couple from the city won a $2 million WESTERN 649 prize in February.