It’s that instant wave of shock that gets you, followed by a rush and a reality check to see if you’re dreaming. 

That’s close to what it was for Humboldt’s Marianne Elliott when she discovered she’d won a cool $500,000 with her Sask Lotteries Grand Scratch and Win. 

"I had to look at it about five times because I was kind of in shock," she laughed and explained when she went to claim her prize. She had to have her husband provide her with the reality check, she said in a release from Sask Lotteries. 

"I told him ‘No, you have to check this. I think it's $500,000!’" she laughed.

Home renovations and bill payoffs are where the money is headed, she says, along with a little nest egg left over. 

On October 9, the winning ticket was purchased at Humboldt’s Thrifty Mart where Elliott occasionally picks up tickets as a treat for herself. 

"It's very overwhelming. I'm just in shock," Elliott added.

Sask Lotteries is the main fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture and recreation groups in communities across Saskatchewan.