$15M Lotto Max winner says he’ll donate anonymously: ‘We just want to stay who we are’

Gary Westhaver of St. Margarets, N.B., has always been the kind of person who shows up for his community. Now, after winning the $15-million jackpot in the Sept. 30, 2025 Lotto Max draw, he says he’s excited to keep helping others — quietly and anonymously. His goal is simple: donate where it matters most, support his family, and continue living the same down-to-earth life he and his wife Sharon enjoy.

“Everybody needs, at times in their life, a bit of help. This is what we’re going to do,” said Westhaver, while picking up his prize with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC).

“Any money we donate or give to anybody is going to be anonymous. I don’t need a pat on the back for helping somebody.”

The couple plans to stay in the neighbourhood they’ve called home for years. They hope to support their two grandchildren and may buy a new house nearby, but Westhaver’s biggest focus is giving back to local charities that hold personal meaning to him.

A retired City of Miramichi employee, Westhaver has been playing Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 “as long as he can remember,” but this is his first major win.

He said he was stunned when he scanned his ticket on the ALC mobile app and saw a “major win” message pop up. Unsure of how much he’d won, he immediately called the Atlantic Lottery for confirmation.

“When I was told it was $15 million, I’m going to tell you, my stomach started to turn and my head started going,” he said.

“I wasn’t positive. I don’t even know if I will be when I look at my bank account and they tell me there’s $15 million in there.”

His wife Sharon was the first to hear the news. Westhaver handed her the phone and asked her to call the number that appeared on the screen to confirm the win. The couple kept the win to themselves, only sharing the news with others minutes before they received his giant cheque.

Even with $15 million in hand, Westhaver insists he has no interest in changing who he is.

“We just want to stay what we are, our lives can’t change,” he said.

“We have fun whatever we do. Laughter and humour is, I think, the most important thing in anybody’s life.”

Westhaver purchased the winning Lotto Max ticket at Deals 4 U in Miramichi, N.B. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize. His winning numbers were 14, 22, 27, 31, 33, 39 and 50, with a bonus number of 07.

Lotto Max is one of Canada’s biggest lottery games, offering two draws every week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, for a chance to win jackpots that start at $10 million and can grow up to $80 million. Each play costs $5 and gives players three sets of seven numbers ranging from 1 to 50.

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