These are the words of Hazel, from Stafford, who has won the £75,000 rollover jackpot in the November draw of the Veterans’ Lottery.
The 72-year old told us that she was wearing her remembrance poppy when she received the phone call to let her know that she had scooped £75,000.
“We were in the car travelling to my uncle’s funeral in Chichester when I got the call and none of us could believe what was happening,” said Hazel.
“First of all the lady told me that I’d won £7,000 and I was absolutely delighted, but when she said it didn’t end there as I’d actually won the £75,000 rollover I was totally lost for words.
“The news brought some light to which was a difficult and emotional day for us all."
Hazel’s father was a World War II veteran who served in the Navy and both her father and mother-in-law also served in the military.
She signed up to the Veterans’ Lottery after watching some of the emotional and inspiring real-life stories on the Veterans’ Foundation’s social media channels.
“I’ve seen the stories of men and women who have come home from service and have lost limbs and have terrible mental scars,” Hazel continued.
“It’s heartbreaking that these veterans are being left out in the cold so to speak and I just think they need all of the help they can get for sacrificing so much for our country.
“This is why I support the Veterans Foundation and have donated some of my winnings back to the charity.”
Hazel has three children so she is using her winnings to give them some financial support and she’s also putting some in savings as a safety net for her and her husband.
When Hazel was asked what she’d say to someone who was thinking about signing up to the Veterans’ Lottery, she added: “It’s an incredible cause and I feel so proud to be a part of it.
“Just looks what’s happened to us and you really could be a winner too."
The second cash prize of £3,500 was won by Michael, from Hailsham, who’s motivation for playing was that he felt it was an amazing way to show his support for the role military play in improving the lives of veterans and their families.
The Veterans’ Lottery is now the UK’s Largest single-cause lottery and is a key funding stream for the Foundation’s grant programme.
If you’d like to be in with a chance to win up to £75,000 you can sign up to play the Veterans’ Lottery today.
You’ll be joining a family and a movement that has helped raise more than £32 million for over 500 charities to deliver vital services addressing key challenges such as mental health, homelessness and unemployment.
Play the Veterans' Lottery
