Maple Creek couple new millionaires
Kevin Mulatz didn’t believe his daughter when she called to tell him they had won $1 million.
Connie, Kevin’s wife of 14 years, had gone to the pharmacy in Maple Creek with one of their daughters to check some lottery tickets.
“I thought I checked them at home, obviously not good enough,” Connie said. “I took my tickets in. I had quite a few of them to take and have checked from the past couple months.”
The months of tickets yielded a few dollars in winnings here and there, but a ticket bought on Sept. 25 at their local Convenience Plus would be the big winner.
“I won $2 here, $10, and a free play. And all of a sudden (the pharmacist) said ‘You won. You won big.’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Kevin was at work when his daughter called to tell him the news.
“He thought it was a joke, he didn’t believe us ... he said, ‘that’s not funny,’” said Connie.
He then asked his daughter again if she needed anything, since work was getting busier.
“The pharmacist actually grabbed the phone and said to him ‘It is real, she won,’” said Connie.
But that still wasn’t enough for Kevin.
On Thursday, Kevin recalled the day, saying he rushed down to the pharmacy after he was convinced it wasn’t a joke.
“I didn’t believe it ’til I (saw) it with my own eyes — it was pretty crazy.”
Their other daughter, who was at home during all of this, reacted just like her dad.
“She said ‘I need to see the ticket, I don’t believe that,’” said Connie.
“It’s a little surreal right now,” said Connie, who added with a laugh, “we’ve been in shock, I think.”
Connie said first they plan to use the money to pay off their mortgage. After that, they want to save for their daughters’ educations and potentially plan some vacations.
But before any other trips Kevin and Connie are taking their 13-, and 11-year-old daughters to Disney World.