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After $7m lottery win, Surrey janitor won’t quit his job – but will scale back hours

Vito Halasan matched numbers for 6/49 jackpot
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Surrey’s Vito Halasan in a BCLC photo released Friday.

Surrey janitor Vito Halasan is $7 million richer, but he won’t quit his job – although he does intend on scaling back his hours.

He matched all six numbers on his Lotto 6/49 ticket to win the $7 million jackpot in the April 27, 2019 draw, only a few days after celebrating his 58th birthday.

“I remember scanning my ticket and seeing all these numbers,” the happy janitor said in a BCLC release.

“I have really blurry vision so I had to hold the ticket right up to my face. I couldn’t believe it.”

Halasan called his daughter in a panic after realizing his big win.

“He sat me down at the table,” stated the woman, who is not named in the BCLC release. “And then he whispered really quietly to me that he won $7 million dollars. I didn’t believe him. We had to check online several times.”

With three kids and four grandchildren, Halasan’s goal is to give his family the life they had dreamed of since moving to Canada from the Philippines in 2009.

“I buy lottery tickets so I can dream,” Halasan said in the release. “I dream of being able to take care of my kids and make their future better. Now we’ll be able to buy a nice house for my children and grandchildren.”

CLICK HERE to read more stories about Surrey-area lottery winners.



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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