For Mark of Dargaville, the call confirming he'd won Coastguard's Heritage Series Lottery came with initial scepticism.
"I didn’t believe it first, but then thought how would anyone else know I’d bought a ticket?" Mark says, recalling the moment he found out his ticket had been drawn.
As the winner, Mark had his pick of five incredible options, each valued at $250,000, an Antarctic cruise package; a VW campervan; a Haines Hunter boat; gold bullion; a private yacht charter; or he could take the $225,000 cash alternative instead.
After weighing it up, Mark narrowed the decision down to two contenders; the gold bullion or the cash. In the end, the flexibility of cash won out.
"I told my family, and they were very happy for me," he says. With the money now his, Mark is planning a family trip to Rarotonga.
Mark isn't a stranger to Coastguard's lottery draws and says he tries to buy a ticket whenever he can. "It's a great cause," he says, one that hits close to home for a dedicated boatie who has always owned a boat and has been a Coastguard member for years.
That long-standing connection to the water is exactly why lotteries like this one matter. Every ticket sold helps fund the equipment and training Coastguard volunteer crews need to be ready to respond whenever Kiwis get into trouble on the water - support Mark himself has relied on as a boat owner.
Want your own shot at a life-changing prize while helping keep Kiwis safe on the water? Coastguard's next lottery is live now so grab your ticket Coastguard.nz/lottery128.
