Counting up the zeroes keeps Brampton lottery winner busy

It appears that Harikishan Patel of Brampton knows when to take good advice.

Although just a rookie when it comes to purchasing lottery tickets — he’s only been playing for five months — when a friend suggested he try Encore on his Daily Grind ticket he took the advice and ran with it.

The result is that Patel is now $100,000 richer.

The 24-year-old said he only picks up tickets when he has some spare pocket, which was the case when he made his purchase for the Oct. 31 draw.

He said after the draw he got the biggest surprise of his life.

“I was checking my ticket on the OLG app when I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen. I was shocked and had to pause to count the zeros,” Patel recalled while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings. “I didn’t think it was real!”

He said he took a screenshot of the winning announcement and sent it to the friend who gave the Encore suggestion.

“It was nice to celebrate that moment with him — he was so happy for me. He gives great advice!” Patel said. “I had happy tears in my eyes as I shouted and cheered. I never expected a win like this; it’s such a blessing and a wonderful opportunity.”

She said he will now invest the cash for his future but will also do something nice for his friend.

“I’ll settle into the reality of my win before deciding how to celebrate and treat myself,” he said.

The winning ticket was purchased at Canadian Tire Gas+ on McLaughlin Road North in Brampton.

Harikishan Patel