“If I would’ve known all the newspapers would be there, I would have never went.”

The quote at the top of the homepage is by the late Ivan Catchpaw from Abbotsford, BC who won a $9.5-million Lotto Max draw in 2010. Below is an excerpt from a story in The Province about the challenges that Mr. Catchpaw went through following his big win:

In 2012 Ivan told The Province that after his win, his taste for gourmet food rapidly boosted his weight by 170 pounds. He had weight-limiting surgery and regained balance in his life eventually.

But constant requests for financial assistance from family and perfect strangers are a continuing drag, said Ivan — who has an unlisted number and did not want his last name published. [Note that Ivan’s win and full name is, of course, public record]

Ivan also said he wasn’t prepared for photos and interviews at B.C. Lottery Corp. headquarters.

“If I would’ve known all the newspapers would be there,” he said, “I would have never went.”

Sadly, Ivan passed away on February 7, 2013 after suffering a heart attack.

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