‘IT WAS INSANE’: Woman from Mississauga rushes to cash register after big lotto win

Cindy Grater doesn’t seem to be very patient when it comes to playing instant win lottery tickets.

That approach paid off quickly for the Mississauga woman who recently collected the $100,000 top prize on a $5 Instant Crossword Tripler ticket.

“I played my ticket at the store where I bought it. When I realized I’d won, I couldn’t believe it,” Grater, who works in retail, recounted while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim her winnings. “I rushed to the cash register and asked the clerk, ‘Is this real?’ My brain was numb as reality sunk in. It was insane.”

Grater told officials with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) she’s been playing the lottery for the past 10 years and this is her first big win.

“When I shared the news with my roommate, she was just as shocked as I was,” Grater laughed. “I’m so happy and filled with joy. This is a huge blessing.”

Grater’s lottery games of choice are Instant Crossword and Instant Bingo in addition to Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49, she told the OLG.

The big winner said she plans to pick up some new furniture and invest after receiving her windfall.

The winning ticket was purchased at Rabba Fine Foods, on Meadowvale Town Centre Circle in Mississauga.