Day gets off to great start after Mississauga man checks his lottery ticket

The early bird may get the worm, but Kevin Docherty was happy to collect $50,000 instead.

The Mississauga man, who’s been playing the lottery for nearly 30 years, recently got his day started on the right foot when he discovered his Daily Keno 8 Pick ticket in the May 19 evening draw was a big winner.

“It was early in the morning when I decided to check my ticket,” Docherty, who’s retired, recalled while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his winnings. “When I saw I’d matched all eight winning numbers, I knew I’d won $50,000. I had a big smile on my face.”

The lucky winner told Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation officials that in playing Daily Keno, Pick-4, Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max regularly over the past three decades, he’s alternated between choosing his own numbers and taking advantage of the Quick-Pick option.

“When I choose my own numbers, I usually stick with the same ones. Those were the numbers I won on,” Docherty, a father of two, told lottery officials of his first big win.

After learning of his good fortune, Docherty said the first person he told was his wife.

“She was very happy,” he said, adding he then told his kids. “They were thrilled and congratulated me.”

With his windfall, Docherty said he plans to take “a well-deserved vacation” and save for the future.

“Being a winner feels very exciting,” he added. “You always hope your numbers will come up — and this time, they actually did.”

The winning ticket was purchased at His Handy Store, on Lakeshore Road East in Mississauga.

(Cover photo: OLG)