Living in Ottawa at the time, Don Lambton recalls when the Ontario Lotto 649 contest started and as a promotion, all residents received a ticket for the new game.

Lambton won another 649 ticket.

That's one more thing than his bride Elsie has ever won.

Elsie has been blanked on scratch tickets. At bake sales. At church cake walks. On 50-50 draws.

"We never win anything," said Elsie.

Well, that all changed for the Lambtons on Dec. 14, and they're going to need a bigger Christmas tree for the prize to fit under.

The Lambtons, from Esquimalt, near Victoria, won the grand prize draw in the Knights of Columbus B.C.'s 63rd annual Charity Appeal, a 2024 Ford Explorer Hybrid. The couple flew to Vernon via Kelowna International Airport Wednesday, Dec. 18, and will drive their new vehicle home to the Island, with help from a son-in-law, who was flying to Kelowna that same evening.

They were given their new wheels at Watkin Motors, Vernon's Ford dealership, the oldest such dealer in Canada at 109-years-old. Making the presentation was Dale Hofer, Vernon Knights of Columbus St. James Council 4949 Grand Knight. 

Watkin Motors sent a car and driver to pick up the Lambtons in Kelowna. The driver also held up a big sign inside the airport to make sure the couple wouldn't miss their ride to Vernon, 40 minutes north on Highway 97.

"It's very nice," said Elsie, a retired administrator in the Department of Geology at Carleton University in Ottawa, of the couple's new car. She was inspecting the interior and inquiring about an automatic trunk opener. "We are going to enjoy the comfort."

The Lambtons' story gets even better.

Don, 89, is an honourary life member of the Knights of Columbus. He's been working the Charity Appeal draw for 45 years.

"I joined the Knights in 1980 in Ontario, and we were selling the old paper tickets," said Lambton, a retired chartered professional accountant. "I've been buying tickets every year since. Everybody in the family always got a book of tickets for Christmas.

"We joke now that we bought our new car on the instalment plan."

Elsie was out walking their Yorkshire terrier, Geordie, and Don happened to be sitting at the couple's computer Saturday night, Dec. 14, when the phone rang. Don answered on the first ring. It was Hofer with the grand prize announcement.

"He was so emotional," said Hofer when asked about Lambton's reaction.

"I had to ask if it was for real. I thought it might be a joke, but then I recognized Dale's name so I thought it was probably true," said Don, who admitted he didn't get much sleep that night. Next morning, he checked the Knights' website.

"We were pretty excited," said Lambton, who will be giving the couple's "pretty old vehicle" that they've been driving to one of their seven grandchildren. The Lambtons have four kids and one great-grandchild. Both Don and Elsie are originally from Montreal. They worked in Ottawa before retiring to B.C.'s capital city.

Both are members of the Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Victoria, and Elsie is among the congregation that reads out the announcements at Sunday services. It was, believe it or not, her turn to do the announcing on Dec. 15, the morning after she and Don won the new car.

"I said, 'to all of the people who bought Charity Appeal tickets, we had a winner from our church,'" smiled Elsie. "I've never seen a congregation wake up and cheer like that."

The Charity Appeal is a major fundraiser for the Knights of Columbus. Ticket sales start Oct. 1. There are early bird draws for cash prizes, a 50-50 draw, and the chance at the grand prize. The final draw is held in December.

It was a Vancouver Island sweep of the top three prizes. 

Besides the Lambtons winning the grand prize of the new vehicle, a man from nearby Sidney won the second prize of $25,000. A woman from Comox claimed the $10,000 third prize, and a woman from Chilliwack pocketed the fourth place prize of $5,000.

A man from Delta won more than $32,000 in the 50-50 draw.