One lucky couple from England won £100,770 ($126,000) in the lottery and they plan to use the money on fostering children. They are now working on renovating their garage to build extra bedrooms for the kids that they will care for in the future.
Mark Reece, 42, plays the EuroMillions every week, to the dismay of his wife, Kathleen, 41. She thinks they’re not lucky enough to win the lottery.
I’ve always wanted to foster children. —Kathleen Reece, lottery winner
“Every Friday Mark comes home from work with a EuroMillions ticket, and I always moan at him,” revealed Kathleen, a full-time teaching assistant. “We’ve won a few pounds over the years, but I’ve never seen myself as a lucky person.”
One Sunday, Mark asked her to check the winning numbers for the August 18 draw. He wasn’t able to give her the tickets on the Friday of the win because of an errand and the family was out on Saturday, too. The father of three went out to buy milk when he asked Kathleen to check their tickets.
The first ticket didn’t win, it was the second one which proved to be the lucky one for them. Kathleen asked her daughter to double-check the digits. “We called out the winning numbers to each other and, as the realization of what this meant hit us, we sat there in disbelief.”
She continued, “I decided to call the number on the back of the ticket and was talking to a lady from The National Lottery when Mark came home with the milk. I told him to shush, as I was on the phone to The National Lottery. His jaw dropped.”
They were stunned to learn that they had won more than £100,000. That’s a lot of money and a lot of things they could buy and enjoy.
However, for the Reece couple, buying luxury items or indulging on gorgeous holidays are not in their plans. They want to share their good fortune with others. They have been dreaming of fostering kids for years, but the timing and resources were not always there for them. Now that they won the lottery, they now have the means to move forward with their dream.
“I’ve always wanted to foster children,” shared Kathleen. “Mark and I discussed it many years ago and then we had our own.”
In England, there are more than 57,000 children living with foster families. Every year, there is a need for thousands of new foster families across the U.K.
“My three kids will be leaving home soon and I have too much love to give,” she added. “I’ve always wanted to foster, however having enough space has always been an issue.”
Kathleen said the win was a great way to end a challenging school summer holiday. “It’s been a tough few weeks and so the win has given us some sunshine after being in a very dark place.”
The unexpected win gives them a chance to help children who need a loving family. “Thanks to the win it’ll no longer be a problem. I’m so happy we can finally fulfill our dream.”
