In the state of Colorado, USA, a gentleman struck it lucky by winning a lottery prize of more than $5 million. What makes his story unique is that, upon receiving the huge amount, his initial purchases included a watermelon and a bouquet of flowers for his wife. According to an official statement released on Wednesday by the Colorado Lottery, Waldemar "Bud" T, a 77-year-old resident of Montrose, emerged as the fortunate winner of the whopping $5,067,041 Colorado Lotto+ jackpot.
The news release mentioned that Mr Bud, who is retired, was on a backpacking trip in the Holy Cross Wilderness with his golden retriever, Augie, when his winning numbers were chosen for the Wednesday, September 6, 2023, drawing. When he returned from his trip, he checked his ticket on the website and figured, "It must be a mistake!"
Even at 77 years old, Mr Bud is an avid outdoorsman who takes advantage of the places Coloradans love to play and the Colorado Lottery funds. Mr Bud loves to bike, hike, climb, and play tennis. Mr Bud and his wife split their time, living six months in Arizona and six months in Colorado every year.
"Colorado is the most beautiful place in the world," he says. Mr Bud plays Colorado Lotto+ every month he's in-state and "always" plays his own lucky numbers, using a secret formula to choose them.
Mr Bud purchased his winning ticket at Hangin Tree Travel Plaza in Montrose and chose the cash option of $2,533,520. His first move was to buy himself a watermelon and his wife flowers.
Mr Bud and his wife lead a modest life, but with some upcoming surgeries for her, he is relieved and grateful that he can now offer valuable assistance around the house during her recovery period.
Additionally, he has plans to allocate a portion of his newfound wealth to charitable causes.
"I'm going to give to some charities and really think about what it is I was meant to do with this," he said.
