CREDIT: PROVIDED BY FANSHAWE COLLEGE
Twenty-five Fanshawe College employees won $1 million in the Dream Lottery on Jan 11.

A group of 25 current and former Fanshawe staff won the Fall Dream Lottery grand prize. The current and former Fanshawe staff members were the first group to win the grand prize of either the choice of one of two $1.4 million homes or a cash prize of $1 million. This also being the first time anyone has won with a free ticket.

“I just had this weird feeling that we were going to win,” said Karen Kloibhofer, one of Fanshawe’s Co-Operative Education consultants whose name was on the winning ticket. “We had purchased a whole group of tickets for the lottery, the 50/50 and the February calendar draw.” The group has decided to take the cash leaving each member with $40 thousand. “There was talk about us moving in and doing a Fanshawe version of Big Brother at one point. But now we are going to take the money,” Kloibhofer said.

“It was a morning of just total insanity,” Kloibhofer said.

Kloibhofer explained that she was home sick with a sinus infection when she was informed her group had won. “You just made 25 people incredibly happy,” she told the Dream Lottery representative that called her about the win. “I’m shaking so bad, trying to send an email to everybody, trying to tell them to get over to the house.” Kloibhofer said the she was being flooded with phone calls since the news had made its way on Twitter and other social media before she sent the email.

“It was a gorgeous home! Both of the houses are beautiful.”

The Dream Home on Ironwood Road in Byron was where the group met first. “I can't imagine it being another way. Having a whole group there and having the energy of that group as they were all screaming and yelling. That whole house was just full of positive energy,” Kloibhofer said.

Kloibhofer said that most of the winners are yet to decide what to do with their winnings. Some are planning a trip, helping pay for their kids’ weddings, while others are saving or putting it towards paying off debt. “It was kinda nice that there were so many of us because, $40 thousand… It’s enough to take the edge off but not enough to turn any of us nasty.”

Lottery tickets had raised $1.5 million towards supporting London hospitals including: Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the London Health Sciences Centre. This is the most money the lottery has ever raised. “[…] we are supporting the hospitals, and that’s great.” The bi-annual lottery has raised $31.6 million for London hospitals since 1996.