PROPHET RIVER, B.C. – Prophet River resident Donna Tsakoza likely didn’t see a $100K win in her future when she bought a Scratch & Win ticket, but now she’s driving into retirement in style.

Tzakoza purchased a Luxury Crossword ticket from the Blue Bell Inn Petro Canada and was in her office at work when she decided to scratch her ticket and discovered she won the top prize of $100,000.

“I looked it over three times because I was hoping it wasn’t a mistake,” Tzakoza recalled.

“At first, I thought I matched 10 words and won $5,000, but then I realized it was 11 words!”

Tsakoza says she couldn’t wait to share the news with her daughter.

“I told her right away when I thought I only won $5,000 and then told her I actually matched 11 and won $100,000. We were both so excited!”

With her winnings, Tsakoza plans on getting a new vehicle and also wants to gift some of the prize to her granddaughter.

Spencer Hall is a news reporter for energeticcity.ca and a recent graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Radio Arts & Entertainment program. Growing up in Northwest B.C. made Spencer aware of the importance of local journalism, independent media, and reconciliation. In his spare time, you can find Spencer reading, playing video games, or at the FSJ dog park with his dog, Teddy.