Canadian Lottery Winners Allen and Violet Large Give $11 Million Fortune to Charity

Violet and Allen Large, a couple from Nova Scotia, won $11.2 million in a lottery - and gave it all away.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on November 04 2010

What would you do if you won the lottery? Buy a snazzy new convertible, and maybe an island or two?

Not if you’re Allen and Violet Large, a couple from Nova Scotia who recently won $11.2 million from a lottery draw on July 14th: Instead of buying luxuries for themselves, the selfless elderly couple has decided to focus on making the world a better place for others with their winnings.

They started by helping their family members pay off debts, and then decided to use the rest of the money to fund local charity programs that they care about. They contributed to a wide range of programs, in animal protection, health care, and many other areas. Violet was treated for cancer recently, and the couple made a sizeable contribution to the hospital where she received her care.

It’s not that the Larges are already rich: They live humbly, with a five-year-old truck and a small home. But they were happy with what they had, and felt no need to focus on their own lives. Instead, they wanted to distribute their newfound wealth to the community they loved.

“We didn’t do it to get recognized,” Violet Large told the Globe and Mail. “Why spend money when you already have everything you need?”

Important note: Though the Larges’ lottery story is genuine, we’ve recently learned that an Internet phishing scam artist has co-opted their identities to attempt to get access to people’s bank account details. If you receive a letter similar to the one shown here, do not respond.

Filed under: General Interest, Heroes, Non-Profits,

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