After thousands of tickets were sold for Chase the Ace in Cape Breton, Dennis Jessome was left holding the only one that mattered.
“The last number was 71 – I said, ‘Oh my jeeze that was close.’ But I didn't know there was two tickets down and here it was the third ticket was 73. That was the winning ticket.”
The ticket gave Jessome the chance to win more than $500,000. Though Jessome didn’t pick the ace of spades, he still walked away with more than $136,000.
Or so he thought.
“I looked to see whose name was on it and it was Sheila Mitchell,” he said. “I said, ‘Oh my god that could have been mine.’ I just wrote the names on the backs of the tickets.”
The problem was a number of friends gave Jessome money to buy tickets. He vowed to write their names on the back of the stub and give them the winnings if their ticket was drawn.
Jessome lived up to his word Monday and presented the cheque to Mitchell.
“I wasn't very nervous that night,” said Mitchell. “I'm more nervous now, I haven't slept the last two nights. It's sinking in now. That's a lot of money and I always had a true friend in him anyway.”
Mitchell plans on taking a cruise with her winnings and helping her children financially.
She also said she’d set something aside for Jessome.
“We’re not going to tell the world, but my friend will not be forgotten,” said Mitchell.
There are seven days remaining in the draw and excitement continues to grow. The next jackpot will be more than $700,000.
Jessome plans to be there again.
“I'll give it a little shot, I guess,” he said. “I don't think you can win twice in a row.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
