A Maine couple who won $1 million on a lottery scratch-off made a heartwarming decision to generously share thousands of it with the staff at the supermarket where they bought the winning ticket.
Stephanie Lemieux and her fiancé Glenn Theriault began the year on a sad note. Their beloved dog Baxter died. It was a turning point for the couple early in the pandemic. Baxter was like their child, especially since they were told they could never have children of their own.
“Our luck seemed to instantly change after that awful day when we said goodbye” to 13-year-old Baxter.
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Maine Couple’s Trifecta Of Miracles
While many people saw 2020 as the worst year on record, Stephanie and Glenn had a different experience. Their 2020 heralded a trifecta of miracles, including the lottery win.
The Maine couple’s first win was on the business front. The pandemic then hit many small businesses hard. But fortunately for this couple, theirs thrived.
Then they got some unexpected news. Stephanie was pregnant. This was a welcome surprise given the couple didn’t think pregnancy was possible for them.
“Our business was doing really well and we were expanding while many people were closing down,” Lemieux said. “And then I found out I was pregnant after believing I couldn’t.”
The winning kept coming when, on December 29th, they purchased 25 scratch off lottery tickets at Food Circle. About halfway through Theriault’s pile was the winning ticket.
After taxes, the couple took home a life changing $710,000.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and it took a second for it to sink in,” the big winner said said. “I did a big karate chop on the arm of the recliner and yelled, ‘I can’t believe it’ and jumped up.”
They knew they wanted to pay it forward to those who sold them that golden ticket. They typically buy several lottery tickets when they are at the store and often hand them out to employees.
This time they took a different route. They gave $1,000 to each manager and store employee.
Pay It Forward With Lottery Winnings
“They were in shock and couldn’t believe it,” Stephanie continued. “The cashier began to cry and couldn’t speak. It was such a great feeling.”
The couple celebrated their big win with some top shelf tequila. They have some other dreams for the money, but they are being practical and planning for the long term.
“We were looking at some small properties in Rangeley for when we retire,” Theriault said. “We are also building a new facility for our business and can pay a good chunk of that off. I think we’ll step that retirement plan up a bit and buy a bigger camp … and some snowmobiles … or ATVs … or both,” he said with a giant grin.
Imagine how our world might look if more people paid their good fortune forward.
Good on Stephanie Lemieux and Glenn Theriault for doing just that!
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