Couple gives away $11.2M in lottery winnings

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/885532--couple-gives-away-11-2m-in-lottery-winnings?bn=1


LOWER TRURO, N.S.—A Nova Scotia couple won $11.2 million from a lottery ticket in July and now every penny is gone.

But Allen and Violet Large of Lower Truro didn’t spend any of it on themselves.

They say they decided to take care of family, organizations and institutions instead.

“What you’ve never had, you never miss,” said Violet, 78.

Married since 1974, the couple does not live large. They don’t travel, they don’t gamble and they don’t buy what they don’t need.

“We have an old house, but we’re comfortable and we’re happy in it,” Violet said.

They spent 30 years in Ontario where Allen was a steel welder and Violet worked for cosmetics and chocolate companies. They retired in 1983 and returned to Nova Scotia.

“We were pretty well set, not millionaires, but comfortable,” said Allen, 75.

So when they hit it big in Lotto 6-49’s July 14 draw, they decided to give it all away.

All that money “was a big headache,” Allen said.

They must be happy, grounded, and loving people. I think someone who is comfortable with who they are, and appreciate those people and things that are truly important, would have no need for all that extra cash. It sounds like that is the type of people they are. Wow, truly blessed.

Hello...Now that is "sharing the wealth" awesome!

I saw this in the news while I was at work today and a few colleagues and I chatted about it. It put a smile on all of our faces. I would love to say I would be that noble, but, even if not quite that noble, perhaps the Large's have inspired to move closer to toward that end of the spectrum.

Thank you for the inspiration Allen & Violet!

Snoopster said:

I saw this in the news while I was at work today and a few colleagues and I chatted about it. It put a smile on all of our faces. I would love to say I would be that noble, but, even if not quite that noble, perhaps the Large's have inspired to move closer to toward that end of the spectrum.

Thank you for the inspiration Allen & Violet!

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100% agree. I would love to get to that point that I am that content and serene in my life that I could come into that kind of money, and then happily give it away!

How awesome is this story! Completely changed my mood :dance:

I know some elderly folks who ARE well off and have completely lost their minds trying to save/manage every penny; often at the expense of their own friends and family who want nothing to do with them as a result.

Allen and Violet's legacy certainly won't be a "headache" to friends, family, and people like me who only know of them from this story.

People that are that content are already among the richest people in the world. God bless them

I adore these people. They must be the happiest people in the world. I wish more of us were like this.

I bet they made many others happy too, plus the orgs. they gave too.

What a godsend for winners like these two. They are a joyful example to us all. Thank you.

God BLess them.

Goz

I have a silly question. Why did they play the lottery if they didn't want to be rich? Maybe they realized it after they won?

LadyL said:

I have a silly question. Why did they play the lottery if they didn't want to be rich? Maybe they realized it after they won?

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Good point LadyL, I didn't think about that.

Maybe they didn't want the hassle after they won but I don't think that was it. Yea, I'm with you- why bother playing.....? More to this story I think than meets the eye..

Goz

Gozgals said:

Good point LadyL, I didn't think about that.

Maybe they didn't want the hassle after they won but I don't think that was it. Yea, I'm with you- why bother playing.....? More to this story I think than meets the eye..

Goz

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I know, you got me thinking too, LadyL.

I like to believe this is how it happened:

The play the lottery because, hey, who wouldn't want to win a bunch of money, right? So then, they win the jackpot.

Hubby and wife are then planning what they will do with their riches; what they want to change or upgrade in their life. It's then that they realize how happy they already are with their lives. They love their comfy home, and don't want to move. They hate travel, etc.

Wouldn't it be more satisfying to be able to support things that they really care about, they think. We could see the money being used for good, and that would be more rewarding that using it on anything they could think of.

Anyway, that's they way I like to think it happened.