Cache Creek couple eye travel after $500,000 lotto win

A retired Cache Creek couple in their 70s found out yesterday that they were $500,000 richer.

William Arthur Morgan and Sandra Elizabeth Morgan were out shopping when they found out they had a winning ticket, after years of playing.

“I went to check my lotto tickets. I had four of them, three of them were losers and the last one I checked it said that I won $500,000,” William says. “She was still shopping so I went and got her to confirm the ticket was the definite winner, and she checked it twice.”

William used to work as a computer technician for the school board in Ashcroft, while Sandra worked as a licensed practical nurse in the long-term care wing at Ashcroft Hospital and Community Health Care Centre, and they have been retired for seven and three years, respectively. Wiliam says the couple often bought lottery tickets as they felt it was going towards a good cause, and they will continue to keep up the tradition.

The Morgans celebrated a bit anniversary earlier this year with a modest date, and plan to celebrate the milestone again after receiving the money.

“We just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this year… we just went out and had something to eat at our favourite restaurant,” Wiliam says. “We’ll find another way to celebrate.”

As well as another anniversary celebration, the couple are planning a few trips with family, including their two children.

“I’m planning to go with my daughter to Hawaii to visit cousins and later on in the year I’ll go visit my brother in Toronto,” Sandra says.
 
“I’m going to down to Las Vegas with my son and take in some MMA fights and some other sporting events,” William says.

Besides the family trips, the couple is simply looking forward to paying off their house and bills, and living comfortably.

“We were super shocked, we’re still in disbelief and we're really, really happy,” Sandra says. “We feel totally relaxed now. It’s going to be a great retirement.”


To contact a reporter for this story, email Jenna Wheeler or call (250) 819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Jenna Wheeler

Jenna Wheeler is a writer at heart. She has always been naturally curious about what matters to the people in her community. That’s why it was an obvious decision to study journalism at Durham College, where she enjoyed being an editor for the student newspaper, The Chronicle. She has since travelled across Canada, living in small towns in the Rockies, the Coast Mountains, and tried out the big city experience. She is passionate about sustainability, mental health, and the arts. When she’s not reporting, she’s likely holed up with a good book and her cat Ace.