This is what a $1m Lotto celebration looks like

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Melanie shares the news of the syndicate's Lotto win with her Te Kuiti workmates

Behold, rarely seen footage of a Lotto syndicate celebrating a $1m win.

The First Division win means this group of Te Kuiti colleagues are each $125,000 richer.

Last Thursday morning was just the start of another day for the group eight - but unknown to the rest, one of them had big news.

The winning ticket was purchased in Te Kuiti New World and won the syndicate $1 million in last Wednesday night's draw.

Despite having plans to reveal the win with a few witty lines, Melanie was carried away by the moment and could do nothing more than blurt out 'we've won lotto'.

While her delivery was not what she'd planned, the response was exactly as expected.

Some of the members of the syndicate, from left, Toni, Liz, Sandra, Melanie and Laurel. Only their first names were given, but they are each $125,000 better off.

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'Everyone was jumping around and screaming. There were a lot of tears and a lot of hugs.

'The news spread pretty quickly through the office and everyone came up and congratulated us. To be honest, the day was a bit of a blur - I'm not sure anyone got much work done,' Melanie said.

The group had been playing lotto for almost a year, each time buying a Triple Dip ticket.

After last Wednesday's Lotto draw, Melanie had been at her local squash club when someone mentioned the Te Kuiti New World - where the syndicate got their tickets - had sold big prize, she said.

Upon checking them using the Lotto app, the words 'major prize winner' appeared. Her heart was racing, but she didn't want to get too excited.

'By this time we'd gathered a bit of a crowd at the squash club and everyone was just as nervous as I was.

'We read each number out loud, one by one, and when the last number was read out and they all matched the whole club erupted in cheers. I fell to the ground I was in so much shock.'

The syndicate members had got together after continually asking each other 'what would you do if you won?'

Now that they have, home renovations, holidays and helping out friends and family are on the cards.

They'll keep playing too - Melanie said 'you've got to be in it to win it'.