Ray Bono doesn’t normally play Scratch & Win games, but thanks to his last-minute decision to purchase a Set For Life ticket, he and his wife, Tammy are $675,000 richer.Ray was at home working in his shed when he scratched the winning ticket and initially, it was difficult to process that he won the top prize. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I put the ticket down and started scratching another ticket because the $675,000 win seemed too good to be true,” said Ray.Ray has been playing the lottery for over 20 years and Tammy is thrilled to finally see him win.“I have been telling Ray to stop playing the lottery for years, because he buys tickets every week and, until now, has never won big,” admitted Tammy. “I’m so relieved that he didn’t listen to me! I am no longer going to give Ray a hard time for purchasing lottery tickets,” she added with a smile.As for how to spend their unexpected windfall, the Port McNeill couple is planning on paying off their mortgage along with a few bills. “We are looking forward to paying off all of our debt,” smiled Ray. “I’m a shift worker and Tammy is an elementary school teacher so this win will make a big difference for our family.”The winning Set For Life ticket was purchased at Timberland Sports Centre in Port McNeill. Every time a lottery ticket is purchased in B.C., it funds programs across the province. Learn more here. Set for Life is the Scratch & Win game that offers players the chance to win a top prize of $1,000 a week for 25 years.

North Island Gazette