After celebrating his daughter's graduation, one lottery winner had no idea he'd have another reason to celebrate just a week later.

Jayasinghe (Jay) Jayasinghe is a retail worker living with his family in Windsor, Ontario. Ever since he moved to Canada, he said he's been trying his luck in the lottery.

"I always hoped that my opportunity would come," he said.

He had purchased a Lotto Max ticket at a Mac's convenience store on Tecumseh Road, and the day after the draw, he and his wife found out that someone from Windsor had won the jackpot.

"In that split second, we thought it could be mine," said Jayasinghe.
"I didn't really expect it, though, so I put it out of my mind."

But when he went to the store to scan his ticket, he was stunned when he saw the prize. So he kept scanning his ticket and counting all the zeroes on the screen.

"It didn't feel real," he said. "My heart was palpitating, my skin had goosebumps, and tears came to my eyes. I can hardly remember the days that followed that moment!"

Jayasinghe couldn't believe that he won a Lotto Max jackpot worth $35 million in the June 6 draw.

He said that when he called his wife, she instantly knew what had happened from his voice.

"When I was finally able to get the words 'Lotto Max' out of my mouth, she was so happy and started to laugh," he said. "I drove home to pick her up, so we could go back to the store to validate it together."

Jayasinghe recalled sharing a sweet moment with his wife: he saw her waiting for him outside and immediately hugged her when he got home.

"We weren't aware of anything going on around us," he said. "It didn’t feel like we were on this planet."

And the win was another reason to celebrate in just one week.

"I won this prize exactly one week after my daughter graduated university — it felt like two wins," he said.

While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his cheque, Jayasinghe described the prize as "life-changing."

He said he'd use the money for his daughter's education and buy a new home. The family also plans to travel.

"I love road trips. I've always wanted to explore the country, see the Rockies, and appreciate Canada's natural beauty. I also want to visit family," he said.

He'll also buy himself something he's always wanted as a child — he still has the car catalogues that his father used to save for him and has always dreamt of buying a muscle car.

"I told my wife that if I ever won Lotto Max, I would treat myself to a Dodge Charger Hellcat," he said.

But he also plans to share his good fortune.

"There are also some special people we want to help — a portion of this win will go to charities that are close to my heart," he said.

Jayasinghe said that winning the lottery has been an incredible experience.

"My mind keeps replaying times when we made sacrifices for our future," he said. "This is an incredible blessing and an opportunity for a better life. I'm thankful I was able to come to Canada to build my future."