Elation follows wins in Lotto and Kiwi

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 38

Elation follows wins in Lotto and Kiwi

PA Wellington A Whangaparoa woman says she did not hear till Monday that she had won the first prize in Lotto — and was then in such a rush to get to the shop which sold the winning ticket that she put out her back.

The woman, who declined to be named after she split last week's first division Lotto prize of $786,454.47 with two other North Islanders and a South Islander, said the win was still the most wonderful thing that had happened to her.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” she said. “The settlement date for a section I was hoping to buy is later this week.” A regular player of Lotto, buying $2 tickets only, the woman said her lucky numbers included her birth date and house

number. The other winners were a pensioner from Runanga near Greymouth, a Tauranga grandmother, and a ticket-holder from Taumaranui who has yet to claim the prize. Each collects $196,613.60, and the three identified so far

have chosen to remain anonymous. Then years of buying Golden Kiwi tickets and using the same non-de-plume paid off for a Ngaio man who collected the $200,000 first prize in the Kiwi Jackpot Lottery No. 5. The Railways guard, who wishes to remain anonymous, went immediately to claim his winnings on hearing the news over the telephone from the Lotteries Comission, and had collected his prize cheque before the full draw was completed.