BRIDGEPORT, N.L.
All 17 members of the Bridgeport Kinsmen Club will share a $1 million MAXMILLIONS prize thanks to the Nov. 23 Lotto Max draw.
Among the 17 winners there are some family connections; brothers Perry and Jeff Small and spokesperson for the group Wallace Bartlett and his son Dionne. Wallace confirmed the group includes the entire Kinsmen organization and they have been buying lottery tickets for seven years.
“We had been contributing $5 a week to a hockey pool for many years until the NHL lockout in 2012. We started buying Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 after that and stayed with it,” Wallace said.
Each of the Kinsmen members will receive $58,823. Plans for the winnings range from new ATVs, paying off bills, vacations and furniture.
Perry Small, the youngest member at 32-years-old, will be paying off his student loan and putting some money away for their newest family member.
“My wife and I have a three-month-old baby girl, and we will be setting aside some money for her future,” Perry said.
Another member, Winston Dearing, is a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Just a couple of weeks after learning that he was part of the $1-million Lotto Max win, he had another big win.
“I won an NHL trip for two to Montreal, from tickets I purchased from Twillingate Minor Hockey Association,” Winston said. “However, I am a Leafs fan, so the prize didn’t really interest me. I wanted to support the kids by purchasing a ticket.”
Winston took the $2,000 cash instead of the weekend in Montreal, and he is using that along with some of his Lotto Max winnings to see his favorite team. He takes great pride in telling the story.
“I see it as an upgrade,” Winston said. “I am booked to see the Leafs, I have really good seats on Feb. 23, that’s much better.”
The Bridgeport Kinsmen Club members range in age from 32 to 68-years-old. They spend thousands of volunteer hours serving the communities in the Notre Dame Bay area, fundraising for the local hospital, youth organizations and churches, just to name a few. They pride themselves on doing good deeds in the community and last year they raised over $70,000 for various groups and individuals in need.
Gary’s Irving in Summerford sold the winning ticket and will receive a one per cent seller’s prize.
Members of the Kinsmen Buddies Lottery Pool include:
Dionne Bartlett, Bridgeport
Harry Bartlett, Carter’s Cove
Bert Canning, Bridgeport
Winston Dearing, Moreton’s Harbour
Wallace Bartlett, Bridgeport
Rodney Fudge, Valley Pond
Robert Hutchings, Bridgeport
Ted Jennings, Bridgeport
Bob Noel, Bridgeport
Gerald Peddle, Summerford
Christopher Rideout, Valley Pond
Wayne Rideout, Valley Pond
Jeffrey Small, Cottlesville
Perry Small, Summerford
Wade Stringer, Virgin Arm
Franklin Wheeler, Chanceport
Randy White, Valley Pond
