$12.5 million Lotto prize is claimed

A Taranaki family syndicate has come forward to claim the $12.5 million Powerball first division prize from Saturday night’s draw.

The winning ticket was sold at Fitzroy Lotto and Mags and was only the second time a Powerball winner had been sold in the region.

The family, who wish to remain anonymous, had a long-standing tradition of buying a ticket as a syndicate when they got together a few times each year and bought one while out shopping on Saturday.

‘‘We had popped out for a coffee and some shopping and decided to stop by Fitzroy Lotto & Mags to pick up our family ticket,’’ the sister who purchased it said. ‘‘I just put it in my wallet and forgot about it.’’

Another sister saw on Facebook on Saturday night the winning ticket had been sold at the store where they bought their ticket but her sister had it.First thing the next morning she sent her sister a text asking her to check the ticket.

‘‘We were sitting in the lounge in our pyjamas watching the rugby, when I got a text from my sister letting me know that Fitzroy had sold the winning ticket and asking whether I’d checked it yet,’’ the sister who had the ticket said. ‘‘I wasn’t in any hurry to check it, to begin with, but I could tell from her message that she really wanted me to, so I thought I had better do it.’’

After checking it, she hastily text her sister telling her that they had better come over. To confirm she wasn’t lying she took a photo of the ticket and sent it to them.

‘‘I didn’t reply after that – we just raced over to her house as soon as we could,’’ said her sister.

‘‘They turned up on my doorstep minutes later, still in their dressing gowns and slippers. I handed them the ticket and we all just stood in the lounge cheering and hugging.’’

The family claimed their prize at Lotto NZ’s Auckland head office yesterday. The family would be using their winnings to set up their family – both now and for future generations.

‘‘This win is an amazing gift and we want to make the most of it. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that our children and grandchildren won’t have to count every penny. For now we can hardly believe it. We feel incredibly, incredibly lucky.’’