A Sundre-area business owner almost had to pinch herself recently to make sure she wasn’t dreaming upon discovering winning lotto numbers.
Kim Verkerk, who with her husband Mike owns and operates Schott’s Lake RV and Guest Ranch west of town, had purchased a LOTTO 6/49 ticket at the local IGA on June 15.
Unable to fall asleep one night, her mind preoccupied with chores that needed to be done after the restaurant closed, Verkerk said she was “just working my begonias off!” and was catching up on emails when she decided to check the ticket’s numbers.
But she said in a press release from Western Canada Lottery Corporation that scanning the ticket on the mobile app resulted in a message that the information was unavailable.
“So I went to WCLC’s website and checked the numbers there. I started going through the numbers and they were all matching,” she said.
She told the Round Up during a phone interview that she had to do a double take upon realizing there was a perfect match.
“You just don’t believe it!” she said.
“It was pretty surreal.”
Not new to buying lotto tickets, she said they play regularly.
After taking some time to wrap their heads around the newfound fortune worth almost $15 million, they started considering their options once the reality of the situation settled in.
“We’re going to share with some family members, and plan a trip or two. But the majority of the money will be put into the business we run together,” she said.
“It enables our dream that we’ve always had out here,” she said about how winning the lotto will play a major role in further improving Schott’s Lake, which had already been undergoing numerous renovations over the past number of months.
“All of the pieces now fit together.”
Although the couple has more than enough financial security to just “walk away,” she added they remain fully committed to their business and hope to introduce camp programs for children and families.
“That’s vitally important, getting kids and families more connected to nature,” she said.
“Those are the best memories I have as a kid growing up — spending time with the family around the campfire.”
