Big win
New Brunswick man claims million-dollar lottery win, ticket bought in Summerside
Summerside’s newest lottery winner is – actually from Marysville, N.B.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation announced at its Moncton, N.B., office Tuesday that the winner of the $1 million prize from the Feb. 28, Atlantic 49 draw, is Darren Shannon.
Shannon works in the trucking industry and purchased his winning ticket in at the Reads Corner Esso in Summerside, during one of his trips to the Island.
His ticket is the third milliondollar prize sold in Summerside since November.
Shelly Campbell, of Tyne Valley, won $1 million on the Nov. 25, 2017, Atlantic 49 draw. Just before Campbell claimed her prize, Erik Gerlund, of Bedeque, also won $1 million on Atlantic 49, this time on Jan. 1. Shannon said he initially checked his ticket quickly by himself the day after the draw and thought he’d won $50. He put it away until this past Friday.
“I was in the store near home and the girl asked me if I was going to buy my tickets. I got her to check all the tickets I had with me,” he said.
Three of the five tickets checked by the clerk were nonwinners, a fourth was worth $5 and the last turned out to be bigger than he’d expected; the ticket he thought was worth $50 was actually worth $1 million.
“After that I kept the ticket in my wallet and slept with my clothes on!” he said. “I’m excited. It’s a dream.”
He added, that he’s already acquired the help of a financial planner and is looking to invest most of his winnings. He does, however, intend to splurge on a trip somewhere and get a new four-wheeler.
“I plan to keep working. I’m too young to retire,” he added.